Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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205. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a felling licence will be granted to a person (details supplied). [32158/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As you may be aware, there is a backlog of license applications that require an Appropriate Assessment (AA). My Department has put in place a detailed project plan for dealing with this backlog which includes recruitment of additional ecologists, forestry inspectors and administrative staff where required.

In this case, a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) request letter was issued to the applicant on the 15th September 2020. This letter set out the areas that the NIS should focus on.

Submitting a NIS for this licence application will significantly reduce the length of time it will take for the Department to complete the AA process. On receipt of a satisfactory NIS, the length of time it will take to complete the AA process is estimated to be between 2 and 3 months.