Forestry Sector

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 December 2021

Tuesday, 14 December 2021

Questions (785)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

785. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if statistical information in relation to felling licences will be provided for 2020 and to date in 2021 (details supplied). [61652/21]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

My Department is the consent authority for tree felling licences, which are a legal requirement before the felling of any tree or trees. In the years in question, my Department issued 1,717 (2020) and 2,711 tree felling licences. These are broken down by county and whether they are issued to Coillte Teo or private landowners in the tables below.

Tree felling licences issue with varying validity periods up to and including 10 years. After the expiration of the validity period, a landowner has two years in which to replant the felled site. Therefore, no reforestation inspections would be carried out on tree felling licences issued in 2020 and 2021 as they would be within the timeframe by which the replanting is required to take place. Information on ad hoc inspections is not compiled centrally and therefore not readily available, as they usually arise from complaints received by letter, email or by phone call. All such complaints are followed-up, with action taken as appropriate.

Every application for a forestry licence, including tree felling licences is assessed for its potential impact on the surrounding countryside and environment. This examination – Appropriate Assessment (AA) Procedures – is in the following stages AA screening, followed by stage 2 AA where required. Where following AA screening the potential impacts cannot be readily excluded, the application goes for stage 2 AA. The number of tree felling licence applications that progressed to stage 2 AA will be forwarded to the Deputy under separate cover.

Felling licences issued by count in 2020 and 2021 for both Coillte and Private landowners

2020	Private	Coillte	2021	Private	Coillte
Carlow	5	11	Carlow	11	21
Cavan	38	35	Cavan	45	34
Clare	54	66	Clare	92	78
Cork	97	106	Cork	159	166
Donegal	6	54	Donegal	30	141
Dublin	3	7	Dublin	2	14
Galway	54	64	Galway	46	111
Kerry	61	31	Kerry	85	56
Kildare	4	6	Kildare	26	4
Kilkenny	43	40	Kilkenny	57	35
Laois	14	64	Laois	50	52
Leitrim	54	41	Leitrim	61	58
Limerick	29	28	Limerick	64	36
Longford	18	5	Longford	23	3
Louth	0	6	Louth	4	7
Mayo	36	21	Mayo	64	63
Meath	5	2	Meath	25	5
Monaghan	17	7	Monaghan	11	2
Offaly	32	25	Offaly	68	23
Roscommon	82	15	Roscommon	67	29
Sligo	41	14	Sligo	47	44
Tipperary	39	71	Tipperary	90	189
Waterford	31	45	Waterford	45	104
Westmeath	7	11	Westmeath	18	6
Wexford	29	18	Wexford	19	21
Wicklow	53	72	Wicklow	41	159