Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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961. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 2021 of 24 March 2021, the reason forestry was deemed as industrial and not as a land use activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23888/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The State has had a licensing regime to control the felling of trees since 1928. It was first introduced to stop the indiscriminate felling of trees and to enable the Minister attach replanting conditions to any licence.

The EU Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive came into force in 1985, classifying initial afforestation, deforestation and the construction of private roads (including forestry roads) as projects with a potential to have significant effects on the environment and thus requiring an initial sub-threshold screening and/or a full EIA before any consent can be given.

The EU Habitats Directive came into force in 1992 requiring that where the mandatory initial screening of a project requiring consent determined it likely to have a significant impact on the conservation objectives of a Natura 2000 site, or the possibility could not be ruled out, before any consent is given a full Appropriate Assessment is undertaken.

Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended) list afforestation, thinning, felling and replanting of trees and forest road construction as exempted developments. A recent SI (SI 45 of 2020) stated that this is because such development is subject to the consent of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Forestry Act 2014.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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962. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1108 of 28 April 2021, the way in which 2,448ha of forestry were planted in 2020 when his Department only issued financial approvals for 2,355ha on receipt of forms 1A and from this only 1,889ha has been planted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23905/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department issues financial approvals (Form 1A) for afforestation and accepts applications for payment of the first instalment establishment grant and first premium (Form 2), throughout the year. Therefore, there are always approved sites in the system that have financial approval and are about to commence planting, are being actively planted, or those whereby planting has been completed.

When planting is completed, the Registered Forester will submit the Form 2 application to the Department with the supporting documentation. Some sites are selected for inspection to ensure planting has taken place according to the afforestation licence conditions. The application for payment is then processed.

Therefore, the site is only accepted as planted when the Form 2 payment is made. These sites may have been planted in 2019 but only processed for payment in 2020. Furthermore, there will be sites planted this year, that will not be paid until next year.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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963. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1112 of 28 April 2021, if a particular case (details supplied) was set aside and remitted back to him due to the fact that the screening process was not done correctly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23906/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The case in question was remitted back to the Department because the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) believed there was insufficient evidence before it regarding other plans or projects that should be considered during the screening process.

When screening for Appropriate Assessment, it is necessary to take into account other plans and projects and to properly record these on the file. As there was no record of this before the FAC, the application was set aside and remitted to the Department to be re assessed taking account of other plans or projects.