Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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977. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of felling licenses applied for in each of the years 2015 to 2019 and to date in 2020, by quarter and by county; if the applications were successful or unsuccessful; the number of initial applications appealed; if the appeals were successful or unsuccessful; the number of objections to such licences; the county from which the objection was lodged; the county the application was for; the amount of time that passed between the submission of an application and the application being either denied or granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20761/20]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The data requested will take some time to prepare and will be sent to the Deputy separately.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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978. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the considerations he has given with regard to the introduction of charges for felling licence application; if materials, reports, briefings and correspondence relating to the matter will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20762/20]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government makes a number of commitments for the forestry sector in Ireland. These include the alignment of the licensing and appeals processes with other similar processes, a commitment to implement the recommendations of the Mackinnon Review and to ensure the licensing system is sufficiently resourced to clear the existing backlog. 

The Deputy will be aware that last year, my Department published the Mackinnon Review of Approval Processes for Afforestation in Ireland.  This review was the product of extensive consultation with officials of my Department, industry stakeholders, non-government organisations and others.  The review summarises 22 ways forward, one of which was the introduction of fees for forestry licences.  That review is already publicly available on my Department’s website.

The Government has agreed to the drafting of amending legislation to align the forestry licensing and appeals processes with that of the national planning and other comparable appeals processes.