Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 April 2023
87. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what measures his Department is taking to address forestry felling licensing backlogs on a longer term basis; if he has given consideration to extending current two-year licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18494/23]
View answerWhat long-term measures and proposals are in place to avoid a reoccurrence of the felling licence backlogs we saw previously? Why have some farmers and forestry owners been given two-year rather than ten-year licences?
The Department has delivered considerable reductions in the backlog of all forestry licences, as well as reductions in the time taken to process newer files, and, last year, we had another significant year-on-year increase in the number of licences issued. The backlog of licences on hand more than four months reduced from 6,000 applications in August 2021 to 3,700 at the start of 2022 and 1,840 on 14 April this year. The progress in reducing the backlog is expected to continue through 2023.
My Department continues to issue and accept felling licence applications and, to date, has issued 909 felling licences. In 2022, 817 more felling licences were issued than felling applications received. Furthermore, last year we issued record levels of felling licences, at 3,293 for 9.6 million cu. m of wood, or more than 46,000 hectares. These licences have up to ten-year timelines and are being used by forest owners, providing work for forestry contractors and supplying sawmills.
As of 14 April 2023, there were a total of 2,238 felling licence applications on hand, with 1,199 of these on hand more than 120 days, which is how we used to define a backlog. Average turnaround times are falling overall and this is most evident in files received post 2021. My Department is actively working with applicants to finalise any outstanding information required to allow decisions to be made on their applications. For those applications where other issues arise, my Department has a programme in place to contact applicants to allow decisions to be made on whether to continue to process the applications or close them out.
We remain fully committed to delivering a licensing system that will meet the needs of the sector and society and recent licensing trends for felling applications demonstrate the progress made towards achieving this. To continue to ensure transparency in forestry licensing operations, I intend to publish a new forestry licensing plan once the new forestry programme has been approved.
What are the average turnaround times for felling licence applications? How long are applicants waiting to get those licences approved?
On the wider issue of licences, the Minister of State referenced the fact that the new forestry programme has not yet been approved. I ask her to update the House in that regard. I welcome her remarks on licensing and publishing something in that regard. It is important. Many farmers have lost faith in forestry. It is important that we get the forestry programme right and that all of those licences, whether for felling or forestry, are done in a timely manner. We have to get that right to ensure farmers have faith in the system. The length of time many farmers have had to wait has been frustrating for them. The backlogs have caused significant problems. It is important that we build up faith in the system among farmers to encourage them to plant.
I will get the information on turnaround times to the Deputy. I do not have that specific detail to hand. There has been significant improvement in the turnaround times, which is welcome. I acknowledge the concerns and frustrations of forest owners in recent years at having to wait too long, quite frankly, for their licences. The work that has been done in my Department in the past two years, however, has significantly improved that.
As regards two-year licences, licences are issued based on the requirements of the licence. They can be for up to ten years. If applicants indicate that they intend to fell within a year or so, they will only get a two-year licence, but they can engage with their registered forester if they need an extension to the licence that has been granted. We engage closely with foresters in that regard. If a licence needs to be extended, applicants should engage with their forester and seek that extension.
The Minister of State stated that applicants would not necessarily be given a two-year felling licence unless they intended to fell within those two years but I have been contacted by applicants who do not intend to fell within two years, yet were given a two-year licence. That needs to be considered. The standard licence is for ten years. It is important that be in place and that farmers and forest owners have clarity in that regard. That will feed into what it is hoped will be a much more successful forestry programme than we have had to date and ensure we have buy-in from forest owners and farmers, which will be very important.
Does the Minister of State have an update on the new forestry programme? When does she expect it to be approved? It is important that we have the detail in that regard.
On the issue of forestry in general, to what extent is ash dieback being continuously confronted to ensure the viability of that sector into the future?
As regards the new forestry programme, the formal process and submission is now under way. We have been informally engaging with the Commission in recent months but I am glad to report the formalised process is under way.
As regards ash dieback, we had the reconstitution and underplanting scheme, RUS, in place. However, I have committed to reviewing the scheme in the early part of this year. Our focus has been on getting the forestry programme submitted to the Commission. My attentions will then certainly turn to the issue of ash dieback.
