I propose to take Questions Nos. 853, 860 and 868 together.
The Department issued 4,050 forestry licences last year, which is an increase of 56% on the number issued in 2020, and met our revised target of 4,000 licences. It is our intention to build on this momentum in 2022.
The Forestry Licensing Plan was published and commenced in January 2022. The Plan sets out a range of forestry priorities set to run for the whole of 2022.
The main priorities are:
- A target of 5,250 new licences to issue, which is a year-on-year increase of 30%.
- 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 will maintain the levels they achieved in 2021.
As can be seen in the table below, as of 29th April 2022 the projected target of year to date licences to be issued was 1,717 and the output of licences was 1,655.
Scheme
|
Output YTD
Licences
|
Target YTD
Licences
|
Percentage Target YTD Licences
|
Felling (Private)
|
490
|
595
|
26.78%
|
Felling (Coillte)
|
709
|
510
|
46.34%
|
Afforestation
|
198
|
340
|
19.04%
|
Roads
|
258
|
272
|
30.35%
|
Total (licences)
|
1,655
|
1,717
|
31.52%
|
A main priority of Forestry Licensing Plan is that my Department will refocus on the delivery of approvals from several schemes including Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) (Ash Dieback), the Reconstitution of Woodland Scheme (Frost) and the Native Woodland Scheme.
As below are the other scheme approvals up to 29th April
|
Other Scheme Approvals to 29th April 2022
|
Reconstitution and Under planting Scheme (RUS)
|
34
|
Native Woodland Conservation scheme
|
9
|
Creation of Woodland on Public Land
|
6
|
Reconstitution of Woodland Scheme (Frost)
|
0
|
The Department will continue to issue progress updates weekly through our forestry dashboard available here gov.ie - Forest Statistics and Mapping (www.gov.ie). In addition my Department will issue a quarterly progress report for a comprehensive KPI update on implementation of the Licensing Plan.