Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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219. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 636 of 15 November 2016, if he will clarify the records over reports of the felling of sequoias in an ancient woodland in County Longford (details supplied); and the steps he will take to ensure that the contractor and other contractors cannot ignore commitments made to the Forest Service. [36638/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Following concerns raised in March 2016, the Department requested that operations would cease onsite, pending investigation. Operations subsequently recommenced based on an e-mail from the Department to the Contractor on 12 April 2016. This included an instruction regarding the retention of sequoia onsite, unless overriding health and safety concerns arose, in which case, the Department was to be contacted.

The Department was not subsequently contacted by the Contractor regarding the felling of sequoia trees.

A report from the Friends of the Irish Environment, dated 9 November 2016, was received by the Department, stating that sequoia were felled on 13 May 2016. An inspection by the Department on 9 November 2016 found the stumps of three sequoia trees, which appeared to have been felled in spring or very early summer.

Following contact from the Department, the Contractor stated  that these three sequoia were felled for the following reasons:

- they were suppressed by the dominant sequoia overhead and therefore had little or no living crown remaining;

- they were either dead or dying;

- they represented a health and safety risk.

The instruction regarding the retention of sequoia does not form part of the conditions of any of the issued felling licences. However, the matter concerning the breach of this instruction is being raised with the Contractor.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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220. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 636 of 15 November 2016, if he will clarify his reply on which he based his statement that the Forest Service had not received any complaint regarding the felling of oak on this site (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36639/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I received a letter from Friends of the Irish Environment on 16 May 2016.  This letter was brought to the attention of the relevant Department officials and I issued a reply to this letter on 18 May 2016.  I can confirm that at the time the Department staff did not view this letter as a report of Alleged Illegal Felling.  This matter, of oak trees felled, is now being investigated.