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Forestry Sector

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022

Wednesday, 19 January 2022

Questions (1976, 1977, 1985, 2025, 2031)

Michael Lowry

Question:

1976. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that only 4,035 forestry licences were issued by his Department in 2021, which is well short of his Department's own target of 4,500 for 2021; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the figure of 4,035 is far below the of 7,000 licences the industry actually required; the number of forestry licences issued by county; the categories of each type of licence issued in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1343/22]

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Michael Lowry

Question:

1977. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the target number of forestry licences his Department plans to issue in 2022; if he plans to invest additional resources in the Forest Service in order to reach the 7,000 licences required annually by the industry given the well documented additional resources invested into the Forest Service in 2020 and 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1344/22]

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Seán Sherlock

Question:

1985. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the projected volume of forestry licences his Department will issue in 2022, in tabular form. [1749/22]

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Matt Carthy

Question:

2025. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 778 of 14 December 2021, the 2022 target for felling, private felling, road and afforestation licences issued by type; the weekly and monthly targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2538/22]

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Holly Cairns

Question:

2031. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of forestry licences it is planned that his Department will issue for 2022. [2563/22]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1976, 1977, 1985, 2025 and 2031 together.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) issued 4,050 forestry licences last year, which is an increase of 56% on the number issued in 2020 albeit 2020 was a low output year.

A revised target of 4,000 was advised to the sector last summer, following the introduction of a second mandatory public consultation period on foot of S.1 293 of 2021, which inevitably interrupted licence output.

In terms of the categories of each type of licence issued, these approvals included 2,877 felling licences. Critically, the availability of this volume of timber, at nearly 8.5 million cubic metres, stabilised supply to the processing sector in 2021. This is the highest volume ever issued in a single year. In addition, 264 kilometres of forest roads were licensed more than double the target in the Climate Action Plan 2019. This is also the highest ever volume of forest roads issued in a single year. The number afforestation licences remained static, with 502 afforestation licences issued, which represents 4,245ha of forestry.

As regards targets for 2022, which are currently being finalised, this year we will build on the momentum achieved in 2021 and will focus on increasing the number of afforestation licences issued. We will continue to keep resources under review and will implement all practical process improvements which result from the review and analysis in train under Project Woodland.

I remain fully committed to delivering a licensing system which will meets the needs of the sector and of society and recent licensing trends demonstrate that we making progress towards achieving this.

A county breakdown of licences issued is attached.

Forestry Licences

Question No. 1977 answered with Question No. 1976.
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