Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 February 2024
395. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why there is a delay in the Forest Service granting afforestation licences, which are required to meet our national afforestation targets in 2024 and beyond; what actions are being taken to ensure that the Forest Service has the resources to meets its targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9135/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAfforestation applications received by my Department are reviewed for completeness to ensure they are a valid application which can be progressed to licence decision stage. The licensing process involves careful assessment of applications from a silvicultural, environmental and scheme compliance perspective.
My Department publishes weekly statistics of all licences issued on our weekly Forestry Dashboard, which can be found at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/abb8d-2024-forestry-weekly-dashboard/
My Department has published a Forestry Licencing Plan which outlines our strong commitment to issuing licences in 2024 and we have put additional resources in place to achieve our targets. We estimate that we will issue 1,000 new afforestation licences in 2024. To date in 2024 we have received 71 valid afforestation applications with 81 approvals issuing in the same period.
Since 2020 there has been a significant turnaround in the number of licences issued by my Department. For the new Forestry Programme we are committed to reducing turn around times for all schemes to six months for screened out files and nine months for files that are screened in for appropriate assessment.
There is 2,398ha in total, currently available for planting under the Afforestation Scheme. This is made up of approvals issued to new applicants since the Programme opened and those who applied or were approved under the old Programme, who have now opted-in to the new Programme.
This is in addition to the 1,293 hectares paid for and planted under the Interim de Minimis scheme in 2023, with this planting carried out in accordance with the new Programme. A total of 143ha has been paid for and planted in 2024 to date.
The new Afforestation Scheme offers landowners a choice of 12 Forest Types which cover a broad range of planting options including Native Woodland, Continuous Cover Forestry and Emergent Forests. It provides generous incentives to farmers in particular, to re-engage with forestry. These include increases in premium rates ranging from between 46% to 66%, along with a longer premium term of 20 years for farmers, compared to 15 years for non-farmers, across most Forest Types.
I recognize that planting at the scale required is a challenge but believe that it is in all our interests to work towards this target. It will require a concerted and united effort from all those interested in forestry across communities, public bodies, the forestry sector and farmers to make this a reality. I am committed to working closely with all stakeholders to do so and have established the Forest Strategy Consultative Committee, which will be convened shortly, to facilitate further momentum towards increased planting.
