Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of hectares of Coillte land that have not been replanted in each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19612/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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All clear felling of afforested areas is subject to the licensing conditions as laid down under the Forestry Act 1946. Licences are issued following detailed inspection and approval of the proposed clear felling sites by the Forest Service Inspectorate and following consultation with the relevant authorities. There are two types of licence, a general felling licence which carries a compulsory replanting condition on the cleared land and a limited felling licence to which a replanting obligation is normally, but not always, attached.

I understand from Coillte that the information requested is not readily available but that the area not replanted is very small in the context of Coillte's estate of in excess of 445,000 hectares. My Department is also carrying out an audit of certain Coillte plantations, licensed under the general licensing procedure, to ensure that the replanting obligation has been fulfilled. In relation to limited felling licences, my Department has given derogations from replanting for silvicultural and environmental reasons. Examples of these are the Western Blanket Bog and Raised Bog LIFE projects and the Priority Woodlands LIFE Project. There are also a small number of individual sites where derogations have been given on the replanting obligation.