Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The dashboard shows that, of all the licences issued by the Department in November, December and January, only 15% were afforestation. I stated at the previous committee meeting in December that this strategy is absolutely killing off the private sector. I come from the private sector and worked there for many years. We will see the loss of more jobs. I stressed the last day that millions of trees will be dumped and destroyed that the private sector have put in place to meet the afforestation targets. Through no fault of that sector, it will have to dump trees if 2021 is in any way similar to 2019 or 2020. The Department says it hopes to meet its targets but, given the importance of deforestation and considering the Government's climate change commitments, why are afforestation licences being sacrificed as the Department fails to deliver enough licences overall? To achieve the 8,000 ha of afforestation, how many licences for planting would the Department need to issue weekly when the existing conversion rates from approval to planting are considered? I am sure the witnesses, as officials, will have that worked out.