Alan Farrell
Ceist:317. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on Project Woodland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35051/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 30 June 2022
Ceisteanna (317)
Freagraí scríofa
Project Woodland was established as a collaborative mechanism to engage stakeholders in developing a new vision for the forestry sector and improving the licensing system. Significant progress has been made.
All recommendations are actively in progress, with some completed. I will take this opportunity to summarise progress on specific items.
An end-to-end review of the licensing process has been completed and recommendations arising from that review have moved to the implementation stage.
A legal and regulatory review of forestry licensing has been carried out and following extensive stakeholder engagement was published on 29th June, 2022. The Department has been tasked by the Project Board to develop and submit an implementation plan to progress the recommendations in the report and this work has already commenced.
The consultation on the new Forestry Strategy is under way, with a public attitudes survey and a community engagement survey already completed while bilateral engagement with key stakeholders is nearing completion following widespread engagement.
Over 3,000 submissions have been received on an online public consultation on the future of forests in Ireland, which closed for submissions on 27th April. These submissions are being examined in detail and will feed in to the formation of the new Forestry Strategy and Programme which are due for completion by the end of 2022.
A deliberative dialogue on our forests took place on 10th and 14th May, similar in format to the citizens assembly, consisting of 99 citizens representing the general demographic of our population and again, output from this event will feed into the new Strategy and Programme.
Through various initiatives of Project Woodland and increased efficiencies and staffing within my Department, the forestry licensing backlog has been reduced by 50%, from over 6,000 at the start of the Project to approximately 3000 licence applications currently.
Pre-application discussions on afforestation licence applications, to provide advice and guidance to applicants will be rolled out nation-wide, following the completion of a pilot exercise across six regions. Payment of an environmental grant to cover additional costs associated with Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Directive will commence shortly and will form part of establishment grants paid for afforestation in 2022.
Work has begun on a training needs analysis for forestry licensing and a report is expected in August, 2022. An organisational review of the Department’s Forestry divisions will also be undertaken and is currently out to tender. A communications strategy for forestry will shortly be completed and a Forestry Customer Charter and the question of a review of the role of COFORD will be revisited towards the end of the year.
A great deal has already been achieved under Project Woodland and it is delivering on its remit to improve the licensing system and to develop a new vision for woodland creation in Ireland. Work will continue throughout the year on those elements which remain to be completed and at that stage all elements of the project will transition to an implementation phase.