Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
931. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will be made in relation to a felling licence application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway, given the fact that the initial application has been lodged with his Department since 2018; if he can assure that a decision will issue without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13610/24]
View answerAs regards the felling license application referred to, my Department continues to engage proactively with the applicant and his representatives. This is a very complex location with a number of Ecological concerns which must be carefully considered. There have been a number of changes made to the initial application on foot of environmental concerns raised by my Department and an updated Natura Impact Statement (NIS), Harvest Plan and other documents were submitted at the end of December 2023.
Upon receipt of these documents, they were issued to both National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) for consideration. Observations were received from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) on the 12/02/2024, while Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) issued their observations on the 01/03/2024.
My Department is considering these observations to plan the progression of the application accordingly. My Department will be in touch with the applicant once the application has reached the next stage.
