Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Senator Pippa Hackett):

I thank the Deputy for this question. Contrary to his understanding, I am pleased to advise that, due to the 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. We are issuing more licences than applications received, which is leading to faster turnaround times for new applicants.

At the start of the year, we published a forestry licensing plan for 2022 that contained a target of 5,250 licences, an increase of 30% on 2021. By 2 December 2022, we had issued nearly 4,500 licences, which was 92% of our expected output by this point in the year. There are more than 1,000 approved afforestation licences, with just under 7,500 ha ready for planting. These improved 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. This increase in licence output will remove one of the perceived barriers to planting.

I am acutely aware of the afforestation target of 8,000 ha per year set out in the Climate Action Plan and the fact that afforestation rates have been declining in recent years. As the Deputy may know, the current forestry programme provides supports for afforestation, including grants and premiums, and covers the cost of establishing a forest. Despite strong support for landowners over a period of 15 years, we have not achieved the level of planting anticipated. We hope that the new forestry programme will re-engage landowners, particularly farmers, and realise the necessary change in land use. This will be the best-funded forestry programme in the history of the State, with €1.3 billion committed to its implementation. It is a significant vote of confidence in forestry as a public good and in farmers in particular.

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