Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021
1247. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of afforestation licences that are awaiting processing by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53087/21]
View answer1248. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of afforestation licences his Department expects to issue before the end of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53088/21]
View answer1249. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares his Department forecasts will be afforested in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53089/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1247 to 1249, inclusive, together.
As of 22nd October, there are 951 afforestation licence applications on hand. These applications comprise 7,900ha of land. Afforestation licences for 3,403 hectares have issued this year and we now have a dedicated team of ecologists working on afforestation files. I expect to see an increase in afforestation licences between now and the end of the year.
It is important that the Department receives good quality applications from applicants and that they respond to any requests for further information. Approximately 550 afforestation files have been referred to ecology for processing by an ecologist. Officials have examined all these files and found that just over 10% of these files have supporting ecology habitat information.
The level of planting to end of September 2021 is 1,755 hectares and we will continue to process payment applications to year end to increase this figure.
Afforestation licences have a validity period of three years, from date of issue. At present, there are approved licences issued, for sites ready and available to plant covering 5,700 hectares.
I encourage anyone with a valid afforestation licence to contact their forester and arrange planting. Once planted, they may apply for the first of 15 annual premiums.
It is clear that significant increases in afforestation will be required over the next decade. I am aware that delays in issuing licences may be a contributory factor in terms of interest in planting. We are addressing the backlog through the Project Woodland initiative and September was the highest month for licence issue since April 2019.
We are examining opportunities to further incentivise afforestation measures in the context of the next forestry programme and the next CAP and the Department will be engaging with all relevant stakeholders over the next 12 months.
