Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 May 2021
525. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the metrics used by his Department in setting a target of issuing 4,500 licences for 2021; the way that figure meets industry demand; the consequences for the industry of failure to reach 4,500 licences given that only 1,100 have been issued to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27478/21]
View answerThe targets for the sector are already defined not by number of licences but by metrics relating to targets set for afforestation and forest road and, in the case of felling, potential harvest.
The Climate Action Plan 2019 sets the target for afforestation at 8,000 ha per annum and the target of forest roadworks at 125km per annum. While there are no specific targets for felling, the COFORD Roundwood Forecast predicts a potential harvest of 4.1 million cubic metres in 2021.
The Department has committed to issuing 4,500 forestry licences this year, which is a 75% increase on last year. We have not set individual targets for each type of licence but, based on the proportion of licences issued in 2020, approx. 65% of these will be tree felling licences, 20% will be for afforestation and the balance for forest roads. These figures, of course, must be treated as an estimate of how output will break down across the licensing categories.
Progress to date measured against these targets is set out below:
- Roads: the Department has already issued forest road licences for 115km so far this year which is 92% of the target of 125km set out in the Climate Action Plan 2019. It is, therefore, expected that the road licences issued for the remainder of the year will exceed this target.
- Regarding afforestation, based on the above estimate, the Department would expect to issue licences for over 5,000 new hectares, with 2,236ha licensed to date. This allied to the 4,300 hectares already licensed and ready for use will give the sector sufficient volume to help meet the 8,000 ha target. It is up to landowners to decide to plant, once they have received approval to do so, but arranging financial approval is a straightforward process completed by their registered forester, before proceeding to plant. It is a matter for all stakeholders to utilise the licences available and I would encourage all stakeholders to do so.
- Felling: We have issued just over 2.2 million m3 year to date which is 54% of the COFORD Roundwood Forecast. I am hopeful that last year's output of 5million m3 can be exceeded.
In total to date, 1,236 forestry licences have issued, which is 27% of the target. We expect the rate at which licences forestry licences issue to increase as the year progresses.
In addition, my colleague, Minister of State Pippa Hackett who has responsibility for forestry, has established Project Woodland, to work with stakeholders to examine all aspects of forestry, including developing a plan to reduce the backlog and undertaking an end to end review of licensing processes.
