Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
2086. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to information given by his Department on 13 April 2022 at a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture meeting, if all licence applications predating 2021 have been processed by the Forestry Service of his Department by the end of the second quarter of 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41933/22]
View answerMy Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has committed to issuing 5,250 licences in 2022, an increase of 30% on the number issued in 2021.
As part of that output we intend to clear older files, where a valid application with all necessary information is on hand.
Licence applications with full information are being processed by my officials. Once the second period of 30-day consultation has been completed, and following the consideration of any submissions received, the applicants can move to decision.
According to Departmental records, on 31st August 2022 there are approximately 323 felling applications predating 2021 that are still to be decided upon. These include 95 applications where further information is required from the applicant, 60 applications where further information has been received from the applicant and can now be processed, 133 applications where ecologists have completed ecology reports and they are going through the system (including the 30 day Appropriate Assessment consultation period) and 35 applications are with District Inspectors.
My Department will continue to prioritise the processing of these older files until all older files on hand have been decided upon.
