Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
900. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can provide details of the ratio of staff in the Forestry Service to hectares of forestry planted in 2022 (details supplied); how this compares to the ratio in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35645/23]
View answerThe table below presents an overview of the staff directly involved in Forestry in my Department in 2015 and 2022. The figures represent a snapshot of the staffing complement in each of the years in question, as staff numbers vary throughout the year. It is worth noting that not all staff work full time.
These staff are involved in all aspects of the forestry remit including licensing, promotion, forest health, payments, engagement at National, EU and international level on forestry policy issues and forest sector development. The increase in numbers is reflective, among other things, of my Department having to make significant changes to its regulatory procedures due to legal changes on environmental regulation. The new procedures involved substantive changes involving a more detailed environmental screening process for licences. Furthermore, the establishment of the Forestry Appeals Committee in 2018, that affords third parties and the applicant the right to appeal licensing decisions, resulted in the need for more resources to service such appeals.
In relation to the number of hectares planted there were 6,292 hectares planted in 2015 and 2,273 hectares in 2022.
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Staffing levels in Forestry in 2015 and 2022 |
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Grade |
2015 staff |
2022 staff |
|
Director of Forestry |
0 |
1 |
|
Senior Inspector |
2 |
2 |
|
Forestry Inspector Grade 1 |
6 |
12 |
|
Forestry Inspector Grade 2 |
8 |
10 |
|
Forestry Inspector Grade 3 |
15 |
37 |
|
Forest Insp G3 (ecologist) |
1 |
1 |
|
Forest Insp G3 (archaeologist) |
1 |
2 |
|
AAI (ecologist) |
0 |
7 |
|
Principal Officer |
1 |
1 |
|
Assistant Principal |
5 |
6 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
10 |
15 |
|
Executive Officer |
28 |
37 |
|
Clerical Officer |
32 |
40 |
|
Total |
109 |
171 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2015 |
2022 |
|
Hectares Planted |
6,292 |
2,273 |
