Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 December 2022
401. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress that has been made to date in eliminating the delays in processing applications for forestry planting and felling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63101/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to advise that due to continued high output in forestry licensing this year, we have seen considerable reductions in the backlog of forestry licences and a year-on-year increase in the number of licences issued.
We have invested significantly and strategically in easing the licensing backlog. It has reduced from 6,000 in August 2021, to 3,700 in January of this year and now stands at 2,041. We are issuing more licences than applications received, and this means that the backlog continues to drop over time, with faster turnaround times for new applicants. To 9th December my Department received 3,469 forestry licence applications of all types.
At the start of the year, we published a Forestry Licensing Plan for 2022 which contained a target of 5,250 licences, an increase of 30% on 2021. To 9th December 2022, we have issued 4,543 licences which is 92% of our expected output at this point in the year and there are currently 1,005 approved afforestation licences with just under 7,421 hectares ready for planting.
Higher outputs have been achieved through a commitment to continuous improvement, as well as through a significant investment in resources. The positive impact of these measures can be seen in the increased number of licences issuing, and we intend to maintain this momentum into 2023.
