Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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I will focus on issues relating to forestry and climate change. I am aware that Private Members' business this evening relates to much the same issue. I have received a number of representations in recent weeks from people who are concerned about forestry. If we are to be serious about climate change, action is required. We are kidding ourselves if we believe that launching Government policy on the matter, with a now familiar fanfare, will result in any meaningful change to current trends. Claiming that there is a climate change crisis will get headlines but without a coherent action plan, nothing will change. Scientists tell us that a single hectare of mature trees absorbs 6.4 tonnes of carbon per annum. Scientists also accept that planting trees is by far the quickest and cheapest way of tackling climate change.

Carbon needs to be removed from the atmosphere. As trees grow, they absorb and store the carbon dioxide emissions that are driving global warming. According to Coillte, wood and wood products are known as climate smart products. They are low energy, renewable and fully sustainable construction materials. When used for construction or furniture, they store carbon for long periods. Coillte also states that wood is a low carbon source of fuel and that using wood and wood products for construction and biomass burning releases much less carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere than conventional fossil fuels.

Coillte has committed to increasing the amount of carbon dioxide stored by our forests by managing our existing forests on a fully sustainable basis and promoting the use of wood and wood products as an alternative to fossil fuels and non-renewable construction materials. Private companies and individual growers also have a significant part to play in this process. This Government has set a target of planting 8,000 ha of forestry per annum. Unfortunately, we are only reaching 50% of that target. The reason is the level of bureaucracy and delays in granting licences for clearing, felling and planting. In 2015, there were delays of up to 522 days in granting a licence. In 2016, there were delays of up to 680 days and in 2017, delays reached a staggering 1,119 days before falling to 959 days in 2018. The effect of this is that growers miss planting deadlines and the whole process is backed up. The Government is ultimately missing very modest targets for forestry planting.

The impact on the businesses involved is also a serious problem. I was speaking with the owner of a clear-felling company in Tipperary this week. He has 12 employees but has no work to do for the first time in many years. I visited a nursery in the Minister of State's part of the country last week and it is also struggling with the amount of planting available. This is seriously affecting the viability of the business. In reply to a parliamentary question recently, the Minister of State told me that vetting applications for licences was a complicated process. I have no doubt that is the case. However, that should not be used as an excuse to allow delays in granting licences to continue. The Minister of State must immediately put in place sufficient manpower to grant licences and significantly reduce waiting times. Without this measure, there will be job losses in the sector and we will continue to fall behind our climate change targets, which will cost the State in carbon credits.

The Forestry Act 2014 is a complicating factor. The in-combination impact assessment being used is unduly bureaucratic and the application of a radius of 15 km to 20 km is completely impractical. This radius should be set at a maximum of 3 km and there must be an exemption for plantations under 8 ha. More ecologists are required in the Department to interpret reports as they come in. Staff must be provided to reduce this delay.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Cahill for raising this issue. I am keenly aware of the importance of timely issue of approvals by my Department for the planting, thinning and felling of trees, both to achieve our afforestation targets and to ensure a consistent supply of timber for processing and renewable energy. As the Deputy is aware, forestry in Ireland operates within a legal and regulatory framework. This is necessary to protect forests and ensure forestry operations and activities are carried out in compliance with the principles of sustainable forest management. To this end, there are a number of steps to be followed for decisions about proposed forestry operations.

The Department is required to carefully vet all afforestation applications with regard to their potential impact on the surrounding environment, habitats and archaeological monuments and with regard to the social aspects of the proposal, and to ensure that the proposal meets the required silvicultural standards. This detailed examination is carried out by district forestry inspectors supported by experts in archaeology and ecology within the Department. Applications may also be referred externally to an outside agency or a public body, with up to eight weeks provided for a response for these external referrals. Applications often require additional information from the applicant and these take time. For openness and transparency reasons, applications are also open to public consultation, facilitated by the advertisement of applications on the Department's website and by a site notice. Interested parties may make a submission in writing on an application within 30 days of it being advised. The net effect of this is that there is a certain minimum timeframe involved in the decisions.

The Department has received 645 applications for 5,050 ha of afforestation to date in 2019.

Approvals have issued for 3,440 ha of afforestation. In addition, payments have issued for 2,968 ha of new afforestation and 51 km of new forest roads, which are essential for timber harvesting. It is not correct, therefore, to say there is a crisis in issuing licences, although there are challenges. I acknowledge that the requirements in terms of environmental compliance are more challenging than they have been in the past. My officials are dealing with this by means of an enhanced online application system, additional resources and specific training both for departmental foresters and private foresters. We must, of course, meet these environmental requirements to ensure that the public has confidence in the sustainability of our afforestation programme.

We have experienced an upsurge in felling licences in recent years, possibly because they are now valid for up to ten years and may cover several felling events on the same plot. The number of felling licences applied for doubled from 2017 to 2018, from 3,300 to 6,600. We have this year issued 3,700 licences, which is double the number issued in 2018. Furthermore, 82% of tree-felling licences were approved within four months.

We can do better and that is why I commissioned an external review of my Department's forestry applications and approvals process to ensure it is as efficient and effective as possible. Mr. Jim Mackinnon, CBE, former chief planner with the Scottish Government, is currently undertaking this review and will report on it by the year’s end. I look forward to his findings. He has met a range of stakeholders right across the industry. We really are anticipating that he will have some positive comments and constructive suggestions.

As is the case with all of my Government colleagues, I am acutely aware of the climate emergency. Forestry has a very significant role to play in helping meet our mitigation objectives, particularly through carbon sequestration, which is why a target of 8,000 ha is included in the climate action plan. I know only too well that achieving this target will be difficult as recent trends have not delivered planting at this rate, despite the generous grants and premiums offered by my Department.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I wish to focus on his statement that there is no crisis in the granting of licences. I have spoken to the nurseries, planting companies and a company involved in clear-felling and thinning and all have concluded there is a crisis. The planting figures for this year will undoubtedly underline that. At most, there will be 4,000 ha of new planting this year. This is only 50% of the target. All those I have spoken to are convinced this is attributable to the bureaucratic system that is in place in the Department owing to the new Act.

An environmental impact assessment on an area of 15 km to 20 km of any area of forestry in the country will undoubtedly cover designated land, special areas of conservation or environmentally protected areas. There would be an impact on wildlife. There is no way that would not occur. A common-sense approach has to be adopted to ensure licences can be granted in a timely fashion. As I said in my opening statement, the first step should be the exemption of plantations smaller than 8 ha under the new Act. For farmer forestry, that would be a great help.

On the ground, farmers have to wait too long to get an answer as to whether their land will be acceptable for planting. They are making other decisions on land use as a consequence. This seriously affects the amount of land that is being planted. This is not coming from me but from the stakeholders in the industry.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As I said, we have commissioned a report from Mr. Jim Mackinnon on the applications and administration process. I hope this will streamline the process even further. The core point is that the applications are down to 5,000 ha. We cannot grant on the basis of applications we do not receive. We need to ascertain the reasons for that. There are competitive factors, such as the surge in dairying, and there is the temptation to enter into long-term tax-free leases. There are many negative connotations about the industry, not to speak of all the other matters. I am not trying to cover over what is going on because a lot of work needs to be done but if the Deputy is talking about adding bureaucracy, he should consider some of the recommendations. We can discuss them later. A fundamental change to forestry policy is recommended, with a move away from shorter rotations to longer ones, agroforestry and semi-wilding. I suggest that the Deputy go back to the people he has talked to and ask them their opinion on what is in the proposal tonight. I would be quite sure that they would be aghast at it. We are talking about trying to mix the commercial good and environmental good, and about biodiversity. We have, on foot of the mid-term review of 2017, implemented in February 2018, seen a marked increase in the number of broadleafs, albeit from a smaller overall figure. There has been an increase from 22% or 23% to 28% in one year. There are signs of this occurring again.

There is a lot of work in progress. I ask the House to accept our bona fides regarding what we are trying to do. I am concerned about what would occur if the policy suggested by the Deputy were to be adopted as Government policy on an afforestation programme. It would nose-dive completely.