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Afforestation Programme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021

Wednesday, 24 March 2021

Questions (2049, 2050)

Verona Murphy

Question:

2049. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the afforestation level his Department will achieve in 2021, given the total achieved to date in 2021 and the seasonality factor which will see no afforestation from June to November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15949/21]

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Verona Murphy

Question:

2050. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will intervene in the ongoing forestry crisis and address his Department’s failed licensing system which will see Ireland with record low afforestation, timber shortages and further job losses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15950/21]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2049 and 2050 together.

Forestry will play an important role in meeting our environmental objectives under the Climate Action Plan and in terms of biodiversity, as outlined in the Programme for Government.  It also has a crucial role to play in terms of supplying product to sawmills and supporting jobs in the rural economy.

It has been a matter of balancing these objectives  in dealing with licences, particularly given the issues we have faced in clearing the current backlog.  That is why felling licences were given priority over others in the latter months of 2020, with some three million cubic metres issued since last August. Coillte has virtually all of its 2021 licensing requirement issued, albeit not all of it immediately available, and my officials continue to work with Coillte to resolve any issues to make this material available.

The Department is also focusing on afforestation applications. I am mindful of the seasonality associated with afforestation and therefore, while other forestry licence types will continue to issue, afforestation will be the priority.

In terms of afforestation, the Department continues to receive and issue forestry licences daily.  To 19th March, the area covered by issued afforestation licences so far this year is 1,035 ha.  There are currently applications within my Department’s system covering 9,600 ha which are at various stages of processing, from the initial application steps to ready for decision.  In addition to this, there is another 4,500 ha already approved and available to plant immediately.  It is up to landowners to decide to plant, once they have received approval to do so, but I would encourage anyone that has approval to arrange financial approval which is a straightforward process completed by their registered forester and to commence planting.

A target of issuing 4,500 licences in 2021 has been set, which is a 74% increase on 2020.  A new structure under Project Woodland, which was recently launched by Minister of State Pippa Hackett, is being introduced to ensure that the current backlog is addressed and that a new impetus is brought to woodland creation in Ireland.  Minister Hackett, who has overall responsibility for forestry, has indicated that this Project will involve a review and refresh of our processes and procedures and will include outside stakeholder participation to bring an independent perspective. It will be a task-driven process, with clear deliverable and milestones.

I am confident that the changes presented under this structure to processes within my Department will bear fruit, particularly to give confidence to applicants and potential applicants that they can receive a timely decision on their forestry licence application.

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