Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Forestry Sector

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 July 2020

Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Ceisteanna (523, 524)

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

523. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the significant backlog of forest licensing approvals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17099/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

524. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average age of a felling licence for the calendar years 2015 to 2019, inclusive (details supplied); and the number of applications, in absolute and relative terms, that are decided in periods of time greater than four months. [17100/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 523 and 524 together.

The commencement of the Forestry Act, 2014 in May, 2017 brought about significant changes in the consent process for forestry operations. Felling licences are now valid for up to 10 years and may cover several felling events, such as thinning then clear felling on the same plot. Landowners considering future operations, have the opportunity of applying for a tree felling licence well in advance of any operations taking place.

I am acutely aware that delays in issuing licences has led to difficulties for some in the sector, although of course not all licence are used immediately. My Department is intensively engaging with all relevant stakeholders on these issues. The current licensing difficulties are as a result of the changes made to internal Appropriate Assessment Procedures (AAP). These were introduced in response to important Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) decisions and their subsequent interpretation by the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) and others. These findings meant that in order to grant licences which fully meet environmental requirements, fundamental changes to the licensing system were unavoidable. All licence applications are subject to a statutory public notification system.

I accept the current changes to procedures are very significant and they have been challenging to implement such is the scope and breadth of them, which has unfortunately meant that there have been delays in issuing licences. It has taken substantial resources and effort to introduce a robust and workable system, which meets the legislative requirements, and I believe we now have that in place. My Department's licensing decisions are being confirmed at the Forestry Appeals Committee, which gives confidence in these revised procedures.

My Department has a detailed project plan in place for dealing with the current backlog and new applications, which includes significant investment in extra resources required to deliver the plan. These resources are a combination of additional ecologists, forestry inspectors and administrative staff where required.

The project plan is a targeted, process-driven approach which prioritise files in a manner which will result in an increased number of licences being issued in the short-term and will deliver a return to expected timelines in the longer term. Applicants who have or are prepared to submit a Natura Impact Statement, where appropriate, will be prioritised.

A Project Management Board, with a dedicated Project Manager, will oversee and monitor delivery. There will be a continuous review of the process, in order to effect efficiencies. A communication plan to keep stakeholders fully and regularly informed of progress, with a dedicated central resource to deal with queries, is a key element of the project. While much of the success of the project plan lies with my Department, stakeholders also need to engage with it. This will require a commitment from forestry companies to submit applications that are of the required standard and quality, and to submit NISs in accordance with the guidance provided.

I am more than aware that the current situation is challenging, but it is a temporary disruption which, when resolved, will make for a better, more sustainable and fit-for-purpose forestry licensing system for many years to come.

The table below shows data for applications for tree felling licences. It should be noted that prior to the commencement of the Forestry Act, 2014 on 24th May, 2017, all tree felling licences were dealt with manually and age-related data are not available for all the years requested. The data below are for 2018 to 2020.

-

2018

2019

2020

Applications received

6,600

3,175

758

Licences issued

3,603

4,098

823

% issued within four months

77%

71%

60%

% issued over four months

23%

29%

40%

Average days to decision*

109

185

215

* For decisions made in the year indicated.

Barr
Roinn