Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for that. We examined quite thoroughly the idea of not requiring farmers to apply for felling licences. As part of Project Woodland, we examined the regulatory processes involved very extensively. We simply cannot allow farmers to fell trees without getting a licence. Felling entails a significant project that has an impact on the wider environment, so we do need to have a process in place. That process protects the environment as much as it can.

The previous costings for the site clearance grant was €1,000 per hectare. It is unfair to say that a doubling of that does not meet the costs. We would have examined the cost of clearance when we came up with the original figure and it was generous of the Department to double that figure since this year. As I said, I will keep the process and the ash dieback scheme under review. Between hedges and trees, about a quarter of all the trees in Ireland are ash trees so there is another discussion to be had about that.

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