Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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224. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider making commercial forestry plantations here subject to independent oversight by An Taisce, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30455/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department's Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme includes a number of measures that ensure that afforestation is carried out on appropriate sites, and that any environmental considerations that might exist are taken into account. Where specific environmental considerations are identified, the application is simultaneously referred to one or more statutory consultees, primarily the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Inland Fisheries Ireland, the relevant Local Authority and An Taisce. Comments submitted by statutory consultees are subsequently considered by the Forest Service of my Department when making a decision regarding whether or not to seek further information, to approve the application (typically with specific conditions), or to refuse it. Furthermore, under the European Union Guidelines for State aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas,afforestation applications in NATURA 2000 sites must be agreed with the relevant authority - in Ireland this is the NPWS.

Apart from consultation with statutory consultees, the licensing process regarding the establishment of any new forest is subject to other rigorous checks and balances and undergoes careful planning and assessment by professional foresters. For example, the Forest Service implements Appropriate Assessment Screening, as required under the Habitats Directive, to consider if a new afforestation application has the potential to significantly impact on a qualifying interest of a NATURA site (i.e. an SAC or SPA). Where there is a possibility of this, or where uncertainty exists, the Forest Service seeks a NATURA Impact Statement and subsequently undertakes Appropriate Assessment, to either rule out the potential of a significant impact, or to identify appropriate mitigation measures that will eliminate any risk.

Notice of all applications for afforestation is placed on my Department’s website, showing townland, area of the site, etc.  In addition, site notices are now required at the proposed entrance to the site in accordance with the new Forestry Act, and submissions from members of the public are considered during the decision-making process.

Furthermore, all new forests must be established in compliance with national and EU legislation and the Department’s requirements as set out in the Forestry Standards Manual, Scheme Documents, Code of Best Practice – Ireland and the suite of environmental guidelines, including the new Environmental Requirements for Afforestation. Other procedures, such as sub-threshold EIA screening, the Acid Sensitivity Protocol and the Forestry and Freshwater Pearl Mussel Requirements, also apply. Only projects which receive prior written approval from the Department in line with Statutory Instrument No. 191 of 2017, and in compliance with sustainable forest management, can proceed to planting.

My Department considers its existing consultation process, both with the public and with statutory consultees, to be wide-ranging and robust. Given the level of consultation that currently exists with An Taisce, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, my Department does not consider any additional oversight by these bodies to be necessary.