Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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2014. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications for tree felling under investigation at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15257/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Forestry licences continue to be received and issued daily.  To 12 March, 484 tree felling licences have issued this year.  These licences cover over 1.5 million cubic metres of timber, which is already 30% of the total volume licensed in 2020.  I have given the commitment to issue 4,500 forestry licences this year, much of which will comprise tree felling licences.  There are 2,722 tree felling licence applications within my Department’s system, which are at various stages of processing, from the initial application steps, to ready for decision. 

My colleague, Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has responsibility for forestry recently announced Project Woodland on foot of receiving the Jo O'Hara report and I am hopeful that the framework now being put in place will result in an improvement in processes and an increase in output. The implementation of this has already started with the Project Board having held its first meeting and the individual working groups likewise. Implementation of this project is a high level priority for this Department this year.