Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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487. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review correspondence (details supplied); if a reply will issue; the steps he will take to address the issue; the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3102/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I fully recognise the impact the current forestry licensing delays are having on the sector. I am in regular and intensive consultation with all stakeholders to resolve these issues and I also issue a weekly dashboard to update on my Department's licensing dashboard. I have received the correspondence to which the question refers and a direct response will issue from my office to the person concerned.

It is my immediate priority to resolve the issues which have led to this backlog and to issue licences in the volume needed for this important sector to continue to contribute to our rural economy, including our important hardware sector which services both the local and export market. I know too that licensing is key to meeting our environmental objectives under the Climate Action Plan and in terms of biodiversity, as outlined in the Programme for Government.

You will be aware of the delays caused by changes to the licensing system which means that a significant number of cases now need ecological input in order to comply with environmental requirements. We are tackling these delays by means of a systematic project plan. We have invested heavily in resources including the recruitment of additional ecologists, forestry inspectorate and administrative staff, with extra resources to be added in 2021. This has already resulted in an increase in the number of licences issued, and the last quarter of 2020 saw the highest number of licences issued last year.

The total number of licences which issued in 2020 was 2,593, of which, 1,719 were tree felling licences. The total volume of felling licences issued for 2020 was just over 5 million cubic metres, of which almost 2m cubic metres representing 40% of annual output issued in the latter months of the year. This positive trend is continuing this month, with 177 licences issued in the first two weeks of January, which includes timber volume of nearly 450,000 m3. The aim is to sustain and build substantially on that output and ensure the consistent high level of output that the sector needs.

We have also implemented changes to the functioning of the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) and acted quickly to propose and implement the Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. I have significantly resourced the FAC and four appeals committees are now set up and hearing appeals. The FAC is now hearing an average of 60 licences per month representing an increase of 150 percent. The FAC in consultation with the Agriculture Appeals Office is currently reviewing ways in which greater efficiency can be achieved across the four divisions of the FAC. I would like to note that the FAC has appeals on 189 tree felling licences on hand and have issued decisions for appeals on 95 felling licences since 1st October, 2020.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my commitment to supporting the forest sector and to building on the recent progress, so that a continual improvement in delivery is achieved.