Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Forestry Sector

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022

Tuesday, 22 March 2022

Ceisteanna (1106, 1111, 1121)

Paul Kehoe

Ceist:

1106. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of afforestation approvals his Department must issue in each week from 1 March 2022 to 31 December 2022 in order to achieve the target of 1,040 afforestation licences as detailed in the recent licensing plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13884/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

1111. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actual output versus the phased projected monthly plan for licence and scheme approvals in his Department’s plan for January 2022 and to date in 2022 for each of Coillte felling, private felling, roads, afforestation and ash dieback RUS in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13928/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Colm Burke

Ceist:

1121. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of road licences his Department must issue to the private sector each week from 1 March 2022 to 31 December 2022 in order to achieve his targets as set out in the recent licensing plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13962/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1106, 1111 and 1121 together.

The Department published a detailed Forestry Licensing Plan for 2022. The Plan contains a target of 5,250 licences issued this year, which is a year-on-year increase of 30%. The main sub-targets are

- A higher priority will be given to afforestation licences for 2022 with a 107% increase in output up to 1,040.

- There will be a year-on-year increase of 48% of private felling, roads and afforestation files.

- Coillte felling licences are targeted at the same level as 2021.

As can be seen in the table below, as of 18th March 2022 the projected target of year to date licences to be issued was 1,111 and the output of licences was 1,084 i.e. output is 98% of target.

Scheme

Output YTD

Licences

Target YTD

Licences

Felling (Private)

330

385

Felling (Coillte)

461

330

Afforestation

142

220

Roads

151

176

Total (licences)

1,084

1,111

Full details of all licences issued by category are available on the weekly dashboard which is published and made available to all interested parties as well as being submitted to submitted to the Joint Committee on Agriculture each week.

It is inevitable, in the context of the annual target figures, there will be fluctuations in licence output from week to week

Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, my priority this year is to deliver on the ambition outlined in the Licensing Plan and to issue 5,250 licences, meeting the projected targets for each category of licence within that.

Barr
Roinn