Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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267. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a forestry matter concerning a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46133/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the Forestry Act 1946, where a felling licence is granted to fell a forest, the licence will contain a condition requiring the land owner to replant the felled area or to plant an alternative site.

Replanting after clear-felling is essential to prevent deforestation which could serve to counteract the benefits of Ireland’s afforestation programmes and associated public expenditure, which to date has amounted to a substantial multi-billion Euro investment in forestry by the State and European Union. If my Department were to permit deforestation, it would fall to the State’s afforestation programme to fund the replacement of those areas deforested by grant-aiding other individuals to plant a similar number of hectares elsewhere. In effect, this is analogous to the State indirectly subsidising commercial developments through its afforestation programme. Much of the substantial investment to date would have served little purpose if it only subsidised temporary forests. If such forests were allowed to be removed, not only would the subsidies have been pointless but the deforestation would also cost the State further in respect of carbon credits by way of offsetting.

The only exceptions to the replanting requirement are small projects that provide value to the community (such as playing fields for schools and community centres, etc.) or up to 0.5 ha to build a home for a landowner or for his/her immediate family. Any project that is for commercial gain (any ‘business’ such as housing developments, wind farms, farming, industrial, etc.) is required to replant the site or to plant an alternative site.