Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
1197. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any private land owners have been approved afforestation licences on the same land type now being proposed by his Department as suitable for afforestation on decommissioned Bord na Móna bogs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31228/21]
View answer1198. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will be funding the environmental reports for the pilot scheme on industrial bog lands involving Bord na Móna and Coillte; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31229/21]
View answer1199. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is experimenting on Bord na Móna decommissioned industrial bog lands to achieve afforestation targets instead of processing licence applications that are submitted to his Department by private land owners who are waiting inordinate lengths of time to obtain a licence to plant their land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31230/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1197, 1198 and 1199 together.
Bord na Móna formally ended all peat harvesting on its lands by the end of 2019. As a result of this cessation in peat harvesting, industrial cutover peatlands are becoming increasingly available for other land use options, including opportunities for the restoration of native woodland habitats.
This availability of land occurs at a point in time where there is a greater demand than ever for new woodlands, to counteract existing biodiversity and climate challenges. Native woodlands are an important part of Ireland’s natural heritage, history and culture, and are unique in terms of their biodiversity. They are home to specialised native woodland animals, birds, insects and plants. They provide numerous ecosystem services, including the protection and enhancement of water quality, wider habitat linkage, landscape enhancement, opportunities for outdoor recreation and interpretation, wider rural development linkages, and carbon capture.
Further to a request for support for exploration of possibilities for native woodland creation on former industrial cutaway peatlands by Bord na Móna, the Department has developed a Pilot Scheme that is intended to facilitate the establishment of new native woodlands on state owned former industrial cutover peatlands on a pilot basis. This Pilot Scheme will facilitate native woodland regeneration at landscape scale, aiming at minimum intervention, and is compatible with other forms of peatland restoration measures at this scale.
The overall purpose of the Pilot Scheme is to support biodiversity, help reduce carbon emissions and stabilise soils to minimise soil erosion. These objectives are therefore different to the objectives of the current Afforestation Scheme. The Pilot Scheme aims at mimicking natural vegetation establishment processes in high, dry areas and on slopes that are not suitable for re-wetting.
Bord na Móna intends to complement their rehabilitation plans for end-of-life cutaway bogs by creating a mosaic of wetlands and sparse woodlands that enhances biodiversity value, stabilises the loose peatland soil and reduces carbon losses. No project like this has been undertaken before and the Pilot therefore includes the establishment of trials to explore the most effective silvicultural techniques.
The Pilot Scheme was developed in accordance with provisions of the Forestry Act 2014 and is compliant with national and EU legislation, operational and environmental guidelines.
Following the specific purpose of this Pilot Scheme, the Scheme is confined to State bodies who own former industrial cutaway peatlands.
Grant funding for native woodlands created under this Pilot Scheme is subject to the applicant obtaining a licence for afforestation from the Minister. An Environmental Impact Assessment is to be carried out as part of the licensing process and is at the applicant's own expense. No licence under the Pilot Scheme has been approved to date.
Grants paid under this Pilot Scheme are not following the GPC system which is applied to projects funded under the Department’s Afforestation Scheme, but are on the basis of vouched expenditure and up to a maximum rate per hectare of native woodland established. To be eligible for grant aid, each plot within a plantation must conform to as specifically defined Industrial Cutaway Woodland (ICW) category. I continue to work closely with Minister of State Pippa Hackett who has responsibility for both the horticulture and forestry sectors.
In terms of the processing of licence applications for private landowners to plant land, the Department is focusing all efforts on addressing the current backlog in licences . We have committed to issuing a total of 4,500 licences this year, which is a 75% increase on the number issued last year which I accept was a low year, and I am hopeful that we will deliver on this promise.
