Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
961. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications for environmental impact assessment screening for boundary removals that have been received; the number of screening applications approved; the corresponding length of hedgerows approved for removal in each of the years from 2010 to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27825/23]
View answerThe Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (Agriculture) Regulations came into force in September 2011 and were further amended in 2013 and 2017.
The Regulations apply to three different types of on-farm activities:
(1) restructuring of rural land holdings,
(2) commencing to use uncultivated land or semi-natural areas for intensive agriculture and
(3) land drainage works on lands used for agriculture (excluding drainage or reclamation of wetlands).
Hedgerow removal falls under the category 'restructuring of rural land holdings' along with other boundary removals such as stonewalls and clay banks. Where a landowner intends to carry out works that exceed the thresholds or sub-thresholds set out in the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations, a screening application must be submitted to my Department at a minimum.
For proposed hedgerow removal the threshold for screening applications is greater than 500m of hedgerow to be removed OR the removal resulting in a field size greater than 5 hectares.
For more significant works or activities likely to have a significant effect on the environment a full EIA assessment is required.
Historically my Department didn't disaggregate applications relating to restructuring of rural land holdings/boundary removal from the total applications received under the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations. Under these Regulations, between 2011 and the end of May 2023 a total of 1,044 screening applications were received in relation to the three different categories of on-farm activities outlined above. Decisions were issued in relation to 1,031 of these applications by the end of May 2023. The remaining applications are still being processed. Of the 1,031 cases where decisions issued a total of 835 were approved.
I can confirm that for the period 1 January to 30 May 2023, 13 applications were approved out of a total of 16 applications relating to restructuring of rural land holdings. Within these 13 applications a total of 2,995 metres of hedgerow removal was approved.
I would point out that for recipients of Pillar I direct payments, hedgerows may only be removed if twice the length proposed to be removed is planted elsewhere.
