Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will discuss amendments Nos. 42, 48 to 50, inclusive, 50a, 51, 52, 52a, 52b and 53 together.

The issue of timelines and the issuing of felling licences was raised on Committee Stage and in my discussions with representatives of the industry and growers. I have made a significant change to the Bill by placing an objective timeline of four months for the issuing of felling licences. In some cases, licences will be issued within a shorter timeframe. I propose further amendments to this provision, which I will outline shortly.

The Deputies' amendments seek a range of timelines. Given the detailed processes and consultation involved in the processing of a felling licence, this is unrealistic and the amendments cannot be accepted. In assessing applications for felling licences, my Department must take cognisance of the fact that forest harvesting operations and associated activities have the potential to impact significantly on protected habitats, archaeological monuments, water quality and important landscapes. Consequently, before a felling licence can be granted, my Department must consult with a range of agencies, including the National Parks and Wildlife Service, local authorities, National Monuments Service, and the Inland Fisheries Ireland in order to assess the potential impacts that may arise from the harvesting activity. It should also be borne in mind that a single felling licence application can cover a very large land area, incorporating several rivers, lakes and designated nature conservation sites such as SACs, SPAs and NHAs.

It takes time to assess the possible impact of forest harvesting operations over such large areas. It must be acknowledged that I have made a significant change to the existing Bill by aiming to have felling licence decisions within four months. I assure the Deputy that progress against this target will be monitored and it will be clear to all how many licences are being issued. I also propose to further refine the section by introducing further deadlines within which certain specific actions must be taken. The purpose of amendments Nos. 52a and 52b is to ensure the applicant is given some degree of certainty as to when the application will be processed and to ensure the applicant is kept informed about issues that may affect the completion of the processing of the application.

I also include a new provision, in amendment No. 50a, which provides for the publication of decisions made in respect of licence applications. This practice is already in place for approvals of applications for forests and for forest roadworks, where decisions are published on the Department's website. The purpose of the provision is to further improve access for the public to forestry information.

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