Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

504. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average waiting times for applicants for felling licences; his plans to reduce this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6570/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The average waiting times for applicants for felling licences is approximately 17.5 weeks.

A number of changes have been implemented in recent months in order to improve the felling licence application processing system. Where felling licence applications need to be referred to outside agencies, a period of one month is allowed to Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and County Councils to respond with their observations. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) had been allowed 8 weeks to respond to referrals and this has now been reduced to 6 weeks. In order to speed up the issuing of licences all referral communications to IFI and NPWS are now transmitted electronically. In addition, the manner in which the Forestry Inspectors identify applications for referral to outside agencies has been streamlined in order to reduce the number of cases referred.

The current procedures outlined above will be carefully monitored and reviewed with a view to improvement. It is also intended this year to develop a new computerised application tracking and licence issuing system, which it is envisaged will in time include a facility to allow online applications. The new Forestry Bill also contains provisions that will allow streamlining of the application and licence issuing process.