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Afforestation Programme.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2005

Tuesday, 21 June 2005

Ceisteanna (402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 408)

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

423 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of applications for forestry funding made since SI 538 came into force; and the outcome of such applications. [20579/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

424 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will report on the public consultation process undertaken for all forestry applications, giving the information published before a decision is taken and the information published afterwards, including that made available on her Department’s website. [20580/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

425 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when decisions are made to approve funding for afforestation applicants; if the rationale and content of the decision and any conditions attached thereto are recorded in a register; and if the information is freely available to the public, including publication on her Department’s website. [20581/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

426 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when decisions are made to approve funding for afforestation applications; if a description, when necessary, of the main measures to avoid, reduce and, if possible, offset the major adverse effects are recorded in a register; and if the information is freely available to the public, including publication on her Department’s website. [20582/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

427 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will report on the statutory process of consultation undertaken under SI 538 for forestry applications, detailing specifically the number of applications and the extent of information supplied to the prescribed bodies before a decision is made and the method by which the content and rationale of a decision are communicated to these bodies. [20583/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

428 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of applications and public consultations undertaken and the results of such consultations for forestry proposals in proposed NHAs, SACs, SPAs and national parks, areas containing an archaeological site or feature with intensive public use, prime scenic or amenity areas in a county development plan or listed in an inventory of outstanding landscapes, since SI No. 538 came into force; and the outcome of such consultations. [20584/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

429 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of applications and public consultations undertaken for forestry applications in excess of 2.5 hectares since SI No. 538 came into force; and the outcome of such consultations. [20585/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 423 to 429, inclusive, together.

The European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) (amendment) Regulations, 2001 contained in SI 538 of 2001 introduced, inter alia, a statutory consent system for afforestation. The regulations cover the consultation procedures for both prescribed bodies and the general public, together with environmental impact assessment procedures for afforestation.

The types of cases processed under SI 538 are those where the site is within a proposed NHA, SAC, SPA or national park, contains an archaeological site or feature with intensive public usage or is within a prime scenic area in the county development plan, or is within an area listed in the inventory of outstanding landscapes.

Applications subject to the public consultations under SI 538 are advertised in the relevant local press indicating reference number, county, townland, district electoral division and area to be planted. Interested parties are invited to seek further information in relation to any observations or submissions they may wish to make. In addition, any application for afforestation of an area in excess of 2.5 hectares is subject to public notification whether or not it is covered by the provisions of SI 538. Notification is made through the newspapers circulating in the district of the proposed afforestation and includes information similar to that outlined above for public consultation cases. In addition, all applications are thoroughly examined by the forest inspectorate of my Department, which includes specialists in the area of archaeology, ecology and landscape-architecture and are referred as required to the various prescribed bodies.

A total of 6,606 applications for funding have been processed by the Forest Service of my Department since the introduction of SI 538 in 2001, of which 6,189 were approved for funding. A total of 545 of the applications received were subject to the provisions of SI 538, of which 473 were approved for funding. Of those applications which were subject to SI 538, applications in NHAs, SACs, SPAs and national parks accounted for 331; areas containing an archaeological site or feature with intensive public use came to 127; while prime scenic or amenity areas in a county development plan or listed in an inventory of outstanding landscapes came to 353. As will be seen a considerable number of the applications would have multiple referrals.

Conditions of approval of applications are not recorded in a register at present. The conditions are recorded on the individual files and must be strictly adhered to in order to form the basis of grant payment. This information is not published after a decision has been made, nor does any information appear at present on the Department's website. However, information in relation to the decisions is freely available to the public on request and my Department is actively looking at ways of improving the flow of information in the context of the greater flexibility which will be offered by the new IFORIS system when introduced later this year.

In relation to applications processed under SI 538, the information given to the prescribed bodies includes the following details: (1) environmental considerations relating to the site; (2) species proposed; (3) general site data, for example, elevation, soil type etc.; and (4) operational proposals, that is, drainage, stocking, access, fertiliser weed control etc. A map of the site is also given. Information on the content and rationale of decisions relating to these applications is available to the referral bodies on request.

The number of applications in excess of 2.5 hectares processed since SI 538 was 5,782. All were subject to the public notification or consultation system described above, as appropriate.

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