Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 April 2022
258. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which it is expected to reach published targets on forestry; when the plan commenced; when it is expected to achieve the proposed targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18647/22]
View answerMy Department issued 4,050 forestry licences last year, which is an increase of 56% on the number issued in 2020, and met our revised target of 4,000 licences. It is our intention to build on this momentum in 2022.
The Forestry Licensing Plan was published and commenced in January 2022. The Plan sets out a range of forestry priorities set to run for the whole of 2022.
The main priorities are:
- A target of 5,250 new licences to issue, which is a year-on-year increase of 30%.
- A higher priority will be given to afforestation licences for 2022 with a 107% increase in output up to 1,040.
- There will be a year-on-year increase of 48% of private felling, roads and afforestation files. Coillte felling licences will maintain the levels they achieved in 2021.
- The Department will also refocus on the delivery of approvals from several schemes including Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) (Ash Dieback), the Reconstitution of Woodland Scheme (Frost) and the Native Woodland Scheme.
As can be seen in the table below, as of 1st April 2022 the projected target of year to date licences to be issued was 1,313 and the output of licences was 1,310.
|
Scheme |
Output YTDLicences |
Target YTDLicences |
|
Felling (Private) |
373 |
455 |
|
Felling (Coillte) |
569 |
390 |
|
Afforestation |
165 |
260 |
|
Roads |
203 |
208 |
|
Total (licences) |
1,310 |
1,313 |
My Department will continue to issue progress updates weekly through our forestry dashboard available here gov.ie - Forest Statistics and Mapping (www.gov.ie). In addition my Department will issue a quarterly progress report for a comprehensive KPI update on implementation of the Licensing Plan.
