Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 260: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the factors that inform her decisions when issuing felling licences; the sanctions available to her if false and misleading documentation is supplied to her Department upon which she partially relies when making her decision; the number of felling licences issued by her Department during 2005 and 2006; if it is Departmental policy not to refuse felling licence applications where planning permission has been granted by a local authority; the number of applications refused where planning permission has been granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23137/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The consideration of applications for felling licences takes into account a range of factors. The most important of these include extent of the area in question, location, age of the trees, species and environmental considerations.

The decision to issue felling licences is taken by my Department following assessment of each application by the Forest Service Inspector for the area concerned and following consultation with the Planning Section of the relevant local authority. In addition, if considered relevant to the felling application in question, further consultations are carried out by my Department with bodies such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Regional Fisheries Boards on environmental and water quality considerations pertaining to the proposed felling site.

The supply of false or misleading information in connection with an application for a felling licence is an offence under Section 64 of the 1946 Act, attracting both a fine and potentially imprisonment following summary conviction. If a licence has already issued on the basis of such information, it may be suspended or terminated under the terms of the Act.

A total of 569 and 632 felling licences were issued by my Department for the years 2005 and 2006 respectively. The granting of planning permission by a local authority does not confer automatic entitlement to a felling licence. Felling licence applications are assessed by my Department on their own merits.

Information concerning the number of applications where planning permission has been granted but a felling licence has been refused is not captured. In all cases, the decision to grant a licence is informed by the factors outlined above. The existence of planning permission on a site is not a material factor in the assessment of an application.