Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 May 2021
251. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if Coillte receives preferential treatment when applying to the Forestry Service for felling licences; if specific staff are allocated to process Coillte felling licences; if so, the number of persons allocated for this purpose; the type of staff allocated including either internal or external ecologists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23386/21]
View answer252. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding Coillte; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23388/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together.
A harvest plan or replanting plan is not a legal requirement but all applicants are encouraged to include them in their applications. DAFM Circular 18/2020 confirms that for sites that are screened in for Appropriate Assessment, a well-developed Harvest Plan (or equivalent) is essential, as it is likely to inform part or all of the site level mitigation associated with the appropriate assessment. This applies equally to Coillte and private applicants. Many private sector applications, screened out for appropriate assessment, have been approved in the absence of a Harvest Plan.
Harvest plans or equivalent that are submitted to the Department tend to be prepared to varying standards. In all cases, decision makers assess the information that is available to them on a case by case basis to decide if this information is sufficient for them to either issue the licence or seek further information. For Coillte applications submitted in March this year, the Department has requested that Coillte submit further information in support of these applications. This includes a site specific harvest plan map for individual sites with an appropriate level of further detail that will allow the Department to reach a decision on whether or not to issue the licence.
There are specific staff assigned to processing Coillte licences comprising both forestry inspectors, ecologists and administrative staff. The Department keeps these figures under continuous review as we do all staffing to ensure that we can meet the needs of all applicants. In 2020, the issuing of licences was relatively balanced with 52% of felling licences issuing to Coillte and 48% to private applicants (in volume terms). To date this year in 2021, the breakdown is 60% to Coillte, 40% to the private sector.
