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Forestry Sector

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 April 2022

Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Questions (896, 898, 899, 900, 901, 929, 930)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

896. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of ash dieback RUS applications received by his Department; the number which have been approved; the number of such files that remain to be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17558/22]

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Jackie Cahill

Question:

898. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the area of ash applied for under the reconstitution and underplanting scheme; the area approved; the area remaining to be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17560/22]

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Jackie Cahill

Question:

899. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and area of ash dieback reconstitution and underplanting scheme applications that his Department approved in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17561/22]

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Jackie Cahill

Question:

900. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and area of ash dieback reconstitution and underplanting scheme applications that his Department received in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17562/22]

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Jackie Cahill

Question:

901. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of ash dieback reconstitution and underplanting scheme approvals that his Department expects to approve in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17563/22]

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Michael Fitzmaurice

Question:

929. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the dates his Department received the ash dieback RUS applications that remain unapproved by month in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17844/22]

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Michael Fitzmaurice

Question:

930. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the area of ash dieback RUS approvals his Department expects to approve in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17845/22]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 896, 898, 899, 900, 901, 929 and 930 together.

I will refer the Deputy to his Dáil question number 860 of 29th March, that since the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, my Department has provided support totalling over €7 million to owners of ash plantations impacted by disease through the Reconstitution Scheme (Ash Dieback) (introduced in 2013) and more recently the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS – Ash dieback) introduced in July 2020.

Applications for RUS are received regularly, and decisions are issued as the assessment of the applications are completed.

The table below shows the total applications received, approved and on hand, including the area, since the commencement of the Scheme up to and including 1 April, 2022.

Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (Ash Dieback)

Total

Hectares

Applications received

592

2, 391

Decisions issued

189

619

Awaiting decision

403

1, 772

A total of 155 applications were decided in 2021 for a total of 492ha. A total of 389 applications were received in 2021, covering 1,628 ha.

The table below shows the breakdown of the applications on hand and the year in which that application was made.

Year received

Number awaiting decision

Hectares

2020

103

428

2021

298

1,341

2022

2

3

Thus, number awaiting a decision is 403 for 1,772 ha

As the Deputy is aware the Forestry Licensing Plan 2022 was published earlier this year and deals with projected licensing output and approvals for support schemes and may be found here gov.ie - Forestry policy and strategy (www.gov.ie).

A key target of the plan is to refocus on the delivery on approvals from the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) (Ash Dieback). However, the 2022 Plan does not include an annual target as many RUS applications are screened in for Appropriate Assessment and are referred to ecology. Of these, any that propose replacing the ash crop with conifer species currently require planning permission.

My Department continues to engage with the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), who are very supportive of the objective of removing the planning permission requirement for these files.

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