Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
42. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his response to the fact that targets relating to the issuance of forestry licences have been missed in over 65% of weeks in the first half of this year; and his proposals to ensure that yearly targets are met. [37913/22]
View answerAs members may know my Department 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 2 up to 30th June, we have issued 2,449 licences, just short of the projected average of 2,635 at 93%. It is, however, inevitable, in that the context of the annual target figures, 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%.
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 a signficant number of additional ecologists. There are now 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 in the second half of the year.
Training of these new staff and the requirement for a 30 day public consultation period for those sites subject to Appropriate Assessment has delayed output to date, but the second half of the year will see an increase in the number of afforestation files issued.
Furthermore, 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 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.
It remains my firm commitment to meet the targets as set out in the Licencing Plan and to deliver for the forestry sector in Ireland.
