Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1063. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the commitment made at a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and the Marine that the age of licensees would be made known at the time of issue; when this is due to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11319/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that Ms. Jo O’Hara was commissioned to prepare a plan to implement the Mackinnon Review. Ms. O’Hara’s report has been received and may be viewed at the following link: .

On foot of Ms. O'Hara's report, Minister Hackett and I announced on 25^thFebruary 2021 the establishment of Project Woodland which will adopt the project management structure set out in Ms. O’Hara’s report.

This project management structure will consist of a Project Board, Project Manager and four individual workstreams working with the principles of clear accountability and reporting. The workstreams will work concurrently, focusing on different areas. The first one will concentrate on the backlog, the second on a vision for forestry, the third on devising a fit for purpose organisational structure, including organisational development, and the fourth on streamlining the licensing process for the future.

One element of the plan is improved data processing including the introduction of additional KPIs and an expanded forestry licensing dashboard; the Joint Oireachtas Committee receives the dashboard weekly in its current format. This work on revising KPIs and the dashboard will take place in the context of the workstream groups which will be set up shortly. It will include better data management and processing and I expect to be reporting on progress there as soon as it's available.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1064. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated number of afforestation licences his Department expects to issue in 2021 to meet the target of 8,000 hectares set in the programme for Government, given the figures for licences for the first two months of 2021 are extremely low; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11320/21]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1065. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether Ireland will struggle to achieve 25% of the target for afforestation licences on the basis of the figures for the first two months of 2021; his initiatives to increase the number of afforestation licences to issue in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11321/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1064 and 1065 together.

Forestry will play an important role in meeting our environmental objectives under the Climate Action Plan and in terms of biodiversity, as outlined in the Programme for Government. It is for this reason my Department will be focusing on afforestation applications in the coming weeks. I am mindful of the seasonality associated with afforestation and therefore, while other forestry licence types will continue to issue, afforestation will be the priority.

Felling licences were necessarily prioritised in the latter months of 2020, to ensure a steady supply of timber into sawmills. This saw some three million m3 issued since last August. Coillte now has 98% of its 2021 licensing requirement issued, 60% of which is immediately available for felling operations.

In terms of afforestation, my Department continues to receive and issue forestry licences daily. To end of February, the area covered by issued afforestation licences so far this year was 776ha. There are currently applications within my Department’s system, covering 9,600ha, which are at various stages of processing, from the initial application steps, to ready for decision. In addition to this, there is another 4,500ha already approved and available to plant immediately. It is up to landowners to decide to plant, once they have received approval to do so, but I would encourage anyone that has approval to arrange financial approval, which is a straightforward process completed by their registered forester and to commence planting.

I am confident that the changes to processes both within my Department and the independent Forestry Appeals Committee, will bear fruit, particularly to give confidence to applicants and potential applicants, that they can receive a timely decision on their afforestation application.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1066. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to review the blanket ban on plantations on unenclosed land, which was introduced in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11322/21]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1067. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a survey has been carried out on the capital value of unenclosed land as a result of the decision in 2010 to ban afforestation on unenclosed land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11323/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1066 and 1067 together.

The Department has not analysed the value of unenclosed land before or after the decision in 2010 limiting the amount of unenclosed land that can be planted in any one application.

The Department made the decision in 2010 to limit the amount of unenclosed land in any one application based on economic, environmental and value for money reasons. Last week, Minister Hackett announced Project Woodland which provides for the implementation of MacKinnon report. This includes the establishment of four working groups to tackle specifically the recommendations in the MacKinnon report and one of these will examine the issue of land suitability and land availability.