Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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2029. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all fees have been paid by objectors since the new legislation was introduced for the appeals of forestry decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15644/21]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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2040. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons that have lodged appeals against applications for forestry licences since the €200 appeals charge was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15819/21]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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2041. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of appeals that have been lodged against applications for forestry licences since the €200 appeals charge was introduced by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15820/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2029, 2040 and 2041 together.

The Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020 was enacted on 5th October.  I commenced the Act on 7th October, and, at the same time, I signed the Forestry (Licence Application and Submission Fees) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 417/2020) and the Forestry Appeals Committee Regulations (S.I. No. 418/2020).  These regulations provide for a more effective and efficient appeals process and, among other things, for a fee of €200 on all appeals to the independent Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC).

As regards the number of appeals received since the new legislation, it is worth noting that the FAC is operationally independent of my Department in the performance of its functions, including the acceptance of appeals and the appropriate fee.  I am informed that 79 appeals have been received since the new legislation on 7th October, to date.

Full details of the appeal type and county breakdown are included in the table below.  These appeals have been raised by a total of 44 individual or group appellants.  The Department publishes on its website full details of all appeals received.  The FAC publishes details of appeal decisions on their website. An appeal is only considered valid when the appeal is accompanied by the fee.

In addition, I am informed that since the Forestry Act 2020 was commenced, the FAC received 19 appeals, which they declared invalid as the fee was not paid.  These appeals were for the counties set out in the table below.