Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 October 2022
312. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason that the Forest Service does not routinely require the licensee to provide his Department with notification of when felling works are to be commenced and concluded, even where felling licences are issued for a period of ten years, given his role in monitoring and enforcing forestry licences (details supplied). [53914/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the case of felling licences, a licensee is required to erect a notice at the entrance to the land to which the licence relates, upon commencement of the works advising the public that tree felling is being carried out in accordance with that licence. There are no statutory provisions requiring the licensee to provide the Department with notification of when the permitted project is to be commenced and/or concluded.
Notwithstanding, there are powers under the Forestry Act 2014 to attach any conditions as are deemed appropriate to any afforestation, forest road, tree felling licences. This includes the possibility of conditions requiring a licensee to provide the Department with notification of when a permitted project or activity is to be commenced and/or concluded.
The requirement to supply a commencement notice to the Department prior to felling works starting is included as a licence condition on a case by case basis.
In relation to road licences, conditions to provide commencement notices are attached to many forest road licences and always in cases where the construction of the forest road involves the creation of a new or material widening of an existing entrance onto a public road.
In the case of Afforestation, the submission of Notice of Substantial Commencement (Form 1b), and Notice of Completion of Planting (Form 1c) forms are not required to be submitted as conditions of licences but rather relate to the administration of financial aid under the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme.
In terms of monitoring and the enforcement of conditions attached to tree felling licences this is accomplished through the site inspections undertaken by my staff as part of their work in carrying out felling licence inspections.
