Willie O'Dea
Question:29. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of his work in relation to afforestation licensing. [38546/22]
View answerThursday, 14 July 2022
Questions (29)
Written answers
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has committed to issuing 5,250 forestry licences this year, which is an increase of 30% on the number issued last year. The Forestry Licensing Plan was published at the start of the year and sets out a range of forestry priorities set to run for the whole of 2022.
As regards progression towards our overall target at the end of quarter two up to 30th June, 2,449 licences have issued, just short of the projected average of 2,635 at 93%. It is, however, inevitable, in the context of the annual target figures, that there will be fluctuations in licence output and across categories from week to week.
Across the individual categories of private felling, Coillte felling and roads we are close to or above our projected target. I acknowledge that we have not reached expected levels in relation to afforestation, at 57%. However when compared to our output at the same time last year we are slightly ahead.
In order to achieve our targets, we have improved our systems, and given the number of files required to be referred to ecology, we have recruited significant numbers of additional ecologists. There are 35 full-time equivalent ecologists working on forestry applications with 21 dealing with afforestation. The full impact of these measures and of this recruitment will become evident across the second half of the year.
Training of these new staff and the requirement for a second 30 day public consultation period for those sites subject to Appropriate Assessment has delayed output to date, but I am hopeful that the second half of the year will see an increase in the number of afforestation files issued.
In addition, to ensure efficient use of resources and similar to other planning authorities, files with outstanding further information requests back with the applicants over a set length time will be removed from the licensing worklist. Reminders will always be sent to applicants to make them aware of the situation with their file.
In the interest of full transparency details of all licences issued by category are available on the weekly dashboard. This is published on my Department's website and is made available to all interested parties as well as being submitted to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine each week.
Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsbility for the sector, it is our firm commitment to meet the targets as set out in the Licensing Plan and to deliver for the forestry sector in Ireland.