Written answers

Tuesday, 1 December 2020

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Forestry Sector

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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816. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made on the issuing of forestry licences in his Department; the situation regarding the key performance indicators in the project plan; the efforts he is taking to ensure that these key performance indicators are being met and even exceeded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40398/20]

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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818. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of forestry licences currently awaiting processing by his Department by licence type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40417/20]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 816 and 818 together.

My Department receives forestry applications and issues new licences every week of the year. This means there is a constant turnover of applications and a worklist which has these applications at various stages of processing. We update our weekly licensing output to stakeholders through a dashboard.

There are approximately 4,700 forest licence applications currently in the system and at various stages of processing.

Of these, approximately 2,000 have been referred to ecologists for an appropriate assessment, and a backlog has built up over the last 18 months. This worklist of approximately 2,000 files is being dealt with by means of a dedicated project plan which was shared with the stakeholders on its publication in July.

Generally, the remainder of licence applications that do not require an appropriate assessment are not subject to the delays currently being experienced with licences requiring ecology input.

To date this year, we have issued 2,042 licences. 550 of these licences have issued since the introduction of the new Forestry legislation at the beginning of October.

My Department's overall approach to tackling the backlog of applications is subject to continuous improvement and review with the aim of increasing the output of licences on a weekly basis. At the beginning of the year there were just two ecologists working on the backlog of applications referred to ecology but this figure is now sixteen. Additional forestry inspectors have also been hired to support this work. This delivered increased output in October and November compared to other months this year. While this still has some considerable way to go, I am encouraged by this progress and intend to sustain and build on this output of licences issued each week.

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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817. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to restructure the Forestry Service in view of the implementation of the Forestry (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40414/20]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I commenced the Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2020 on 7th October and at the same time, signed regulations, giving effect to the provisions of the Act. The Act makes various provisions for the structuring of the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC), to enable it to more efficiently hear appeals against decisions on forestry licences amongst other matters. The FAC is operationally independent of my Department.

I have moved quickly to appoint new members to the FAC, which comprises internal and external members. The appointment of three Deputy Chairs means that with the existing Chair and two additional ordinary members, the Committee has operated in four divisions since 9th November, 2020.

The FAC hear both oral and non-oral hearing appeals. All appeals hearings are being held remotely due to Covid-19 restrictions and the hearings are conducted five days a week. Since the introduction of the additional committees, sixty-one cases have been heard with a further forty-two hearings scheduled to take place in December.

I have also assigned a number of administrative staff to the FAC as well as three planners who have been contracted to assist the FAC in preparing documentation for the committees.

With regard to the forestry service of my own Department, I have also invested heavily in resources to help deliver improved licensing ouptut. We now have 16 full-time equivalent ecologists where previously we had one and are also recruiting 10 new forestry inspectors. These are already showing early signs of progress with licensing out for October and November the highest months to date this year. We still have a considerable distance to go in terms of implementation of the plan and my Department will be keeping all matters under continuous review.

I, along with everyone in my Department, remain fully committed to addressing the current issues in the forestry sector.

Photo of Seán CanneySeán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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819. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties facing forest owners with ask dieback disease (details supplied); his plans to introduce a scheme by which persons replacing diseased ash plantations with other tree species can get new long-term leases from his Department to ensure that they have ongoing incomes from the forestry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40419/20]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) was launched in June this year, following a review of the policy approach and associated support schemes while considering the move away from Ash Dieback eradication and bringing ash plantation management into focus. The review included careful consideration of stakeholder submissions as well as meetings with representative bodies of the forestry sector. The revised approach categorises plantations into three groups based on the plantation age and tree size. Different support options are available depending on the category into which the ash plantation may fall.

The objectives of the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) scheme are to encourage the active management of ash plantations in the context of the control and spread of ash dieback disease. The scheme also aims to promote the vigorous growth of ash through thinning to realise as much of the potential value of the crop as possible and where appropriate in young plantations and in cases of high disease infection, to support the removal of the affected ash crop and replacement with alternative species.

Where the reconstitution option is selected the full establishment grant for the planting type chosen is available along with a site clearance grant. However, premiums restart from the last premium paid and there are no plans to change the scheme rules to allow for premiums to restart at year one. These supports are available after replanting is completed. The underplanting and Woodland Improvement Option is also available and grants are payable following completion of works.

The option of Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) is also available which consists of three separate interventions 4 years apart. CCF may only be an option when included as part of a wider CCF management regime or where the infection levels are very low.

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