Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
590. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which the issue of licenses in the forestry sector continues to receive attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35534/23]
View answerAs Deputies may be aware the new and ambitious €1.3bn Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will replace the previous Programme which expired at the end of 2022. The new Programme will benefit farmers, rural communities and the overall climate and environment. Subject to State Aid approval from the European Commission and the completion of the ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment/Appropriate Assessment (SEA/AA) process, this will support the largest, most farmer-friendly investment in forestry in the history of the State.In recognition of the need for forestry activity to continue, and pending the launch of the new Programme, my Department engaged with the Commission last December to secure an interim solution which has led to the introduction of an Interim Afforestation Scheme, an Interim Forest Road Scheme and an interim Ash Dieback Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme via General De Minimis. This ensured that those with valid afforestation licences issued before the end of 2022 could avail of the current planting season under the higher grant and premium rates proposed under the new Programme. Likewise those with valid road licences and approvals under the Ash Dieback Scheme at the end of 2022 could avail of the higher grants and enhanced payment rates as proposed under the new Programme.So, looking at progress to date, extensive work has been undertaken by the Department in this area. A potential 7,000 hectares were eligible to opt into the interim Afforestation scheme and to date this year, a total of 288 applications have been approved under the interim Afforestation scheme (via general de minimis) representing 1,750 hectares. Under the interim roads scheme 126 approvals have issued representing 57,186 metres, while under the interim RUS scheme 23 approvals have issued for 83.75 hectares.
My Department has also delivered considerable reductions in the workload of all forestry licences as well as reductions in the time taken to process newer files. The issuing of felling licences by my Department is not affected by the engagement with the European Commission. Indeed, to date, 1,653 felling licences have issued from my Department, equating to 19,338 hectares. The volume of wood available from these licences amounts to 5,213,257m3. We have also issued nine non-grant aided afforestation licences and 74 non-grant aided road licences.
Not all schemes under the Programme require State Aid approval under the Guidelines and on 24 April 2023, under the Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation, my Department opened two schemes for applications, the Forest Roads Scheme and the Innovative Forest Technology Scheme – Module 2 Investment Aid for the Development of the Forest Tree Nursery Sector.Finally, there is obvious merit in signalling to forest owners, landowners, and the forest sector our intentions as regards licensing which is why I intend to publish a new Forestry Licensing Plan once the new Forestry Programme has been approved at national and EU levels. This should cover the remainder of 2023 while also indicating plans for 2024.
