I propose to take Questions Nos. 774, 775 and 778 together.
Tackling the backlog in forestry licenses remains a key priority for my Department and I am pleased to report the significant progress has been made in the past year, particularly on felling and road licences. Since that Oireachtas Committee meeting on 29th January to 10th December, my Department has issued a total of 447 afforestation licences for an area of just over 3,700ha, as well as 1,298 Coillte felling licences, 1,207 private felling licences, and 583 forest road licences.
Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, we accept that in terms of afforestation, outputs are not where I’d like them to be but there are signs of improvement.
My Department is prioritising the assessment of afforestation licences on hand, using the same system as was applied to felling licences. Ten ecologists are now dedicated to afforestation, with more to be recruited. In addition to recruiting new staff I am also reallocating existing Administrative, Forestry Inspectorate and Ecology resources to afforestation licensing files. I expect these changes to result in a higher level of output of afforestation licences than before.
Improvements in afforestation licences should help encourage more planting. However, there are 5,000 hectares of approved forestry licences issued and ready for use. I would encourage anyone with a valid afforestation licence to plant their land, thereby accessing generous annual premiums and 100% establishment grants.
As regards recent licensing output, in the last 14 weeks, we have issued on average 118 licences per week.
A monthly breakdown of licences issued YTD is in the table below.
-
|
Private Felling
|
Coillte Felling
|
Total Felling
|
Afforestation
|
Forest Roads
|
January
|
98
|
179
|
277
|
36
|
45
|
February
|
54
|
109
|
163
|
48
|
67
|
March
|
47
|
51
|
98
|
56
|
67
|
April
|
64
|
25
|
89
|
73
|
42
|
May
|
103
|
73
|
176
|
48
|
79
|
June
|
220
|
91
|
311
|
39
|
61
|
July
|
73
|
59
|
132
|
12
|
21
|
August
|
66
|
72
|
138
|
18
|
40
|
September
|
258
|
267
|
525
|
34
|
36
|
October
|
149
|
225
|
374
|
43
|
51
|
November
|
123
|
230
|
353
|
50
|
93
|
December*
|
50
|
96
|
146
|
26
|
27
|
Totals
|
1,305
|
1,477
|
2,782
|
483
|
629
|
* to 10th December - total issued 3,894
We will reach this year's target of 4,000 licences and my Department is currently working on projections across all licence categories for 2022, which will be published before year end. This will be a more ambitious target.
We will build on this year’s momentum in 2022 and will implement any and all practical process improvements which result from the review and analysis in train under Project Woodland. I remain fully committed to delivering a licensing system which meets the needs of farmers and other land owners who wish to plant trees, as well as delivering for the wider forestry sector and society as a whole