Forestry Sector

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 January 2022

Tuesday, 25 January 2022

Questions (672)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

672. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his officials have concluded discussions and arrived at a successful outcome with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding the issue of the requirement for planning permission on dead, dying and rotting ash crops as committed to by the Secretary General of his Department at a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2892/22]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Department's Forestry related Circular 5 of 2021 outlines the advice my Department received from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in relation to the “replacement of Broadleaf High Forest with conifer species”.

The Circular outlined the situations where planning permission from the Local Authority is required when replacing Broadleaf High Forest with Conifer species and when planning permission is not required.

My Department's officials are continuing to engage with their counterparts in Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on this issue as outlined at the meeting with the Oireachtas Committee. This engagement is around exploring my Departments proposal to become the sole consent authority for these activities. This will take some time as it will require agreement in principle and legislative changes.

Meanwhile the Department is continuing to process applications under the Department's Reconstitution and Underplanting (Ash Dieback) Scheme, where it can.