Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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1545. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that no Forestry Appeals Committee hearings took place during the week of 26 to 30 October 2020; the impact this will have on clearing the backlog of 500 appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33719/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) was established by amendment to the Agriculture Appeals Act, 2001. It is operationally independent of my Department. The FAC is responsible for appeals against forestry licence decisions and arranges its own appeal hearings.

The Deputy will be aware that Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020, which amended the Agriculture Appeals Act recently came before the House. The Act commenced on 6thOctober 2020 and secondary legislation required to give effect to the Act was introduced on 7th October.

The new Act, was designed to align forestry licensing appeals process with best practice in other appeals processes. Among other things, it allows for the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) to determine appeals by enabling it to sit in divisions of itself

I have moved quickly to resource the FAC to realise the provisions as set out in the Act and have appointed 3 Deputy Chairs along with 2 ordinary members. Agriculture Appeals officers will be deployed to sit on these committees also.Two additional persons with planning expertise have also been contracted to assist members of the FAC.

The FAC will therefore have 4 committees sitting in the month of November. The FAC, I understand, will hold some 70 hearings in November. It is a matter for the FAC to report on their own progress and they will do so on their own website.

I believe that the provisions in the Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act will greatly improve the overall system with more timely decisions on licences under appeal being made by the FAC.