Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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487. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when his Department will issue a policy document regarding the 20% rule on unenclosed land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34113/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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A decision was made by the Department to restrict the planting of unenclosed land in December 2010, to no more than 20% of any one application. (Circular 10 of 2010 - Changes to Afforestation Grant and Premium Schemes 2011)

Unenclosed land is, in general, less fertile and more exposed than enclosed land and trees planted on unenclosed land generally do not perform as well as trees planted on soil types associated with enclosed land.

Prior to the decision to restrict planting of unenclosed land, a number of well-known studies supported the position that habitat types associated with unenclosed land are more environmentally sensitive than enclosed land.

At the time, another consideration was the fact that many plantations on unenclosed land that received grant and premium aid failed which required the Department to recoup the monies paid. This was a difficult process for the applicants and the Department.

Concerns also existed in relation to the importance of unenclosed land for foraging and breeding by a wide range of protected bird species (e.g. Hen harrier). Similarly, concerns existed in relation to undesignated Annex 1 habitats such as wet and dry heath, and highly endangered protected species such as freshwater pearl mussel, whose life cycle is dependent on natural habitats typically associated with unenclosed land. Such environmental issues were discussed at this time with the European Commission. 

Hen harrier, Freshwater Pearl mussel, Breeding waders including Curlew and High Nature Value farmland remain key concerns of the Commission in relation to Ireland's afforestation programme.

The planting on unenclosed land will be reviewed in the context of Project Woodland by Working Group 4.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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488. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will supply a policy document for the decision making to increase the buffer zone radius on all forestry projects to 15 km; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34114/21]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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489. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of forestry projects which are captured within the 15 km buffer zone radius and screened in for appropriate assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34115/21]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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491. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures taken by his Department prior to increasing the buffer zone radius to 15 km and to ensure the necessary resources were in place to minimise adverse effects on the forestry industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34117/21]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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492. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way the approach by his Department to introduce a 15 km buffer zone radius on all forestry projects compares to procedures in Northern Ireland and Scotland in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34118/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 488, 489, 491 and 492 together.

There were many discussions with environmental consultants, amongst others, at the time with clear advice around the Department moving to the implementation of the wider zone of influence. As previously outlined, the decision to move to the 15 km was based on a number of factors including the advice from environmental consultants, NPWS, feedback from the FAC and industry standards in other sectors.

Almost all applications for forestry licensing have at least one European site within 15 kilometres. However, what is important is what sites are screened in and what sites are screened out. Some projects may have many sites within 15 kilometres but the screening rules for the qualifying interests of those sites allows for those sites to be screened out and barring any other issue the file can be approved without an appropriate assessment. Most European sites within 15 kilometres of a forestry project are screened out due to the screening rules that apply. It is therefore not the buffer distance of 15 kilometres that screens sites in, it is the screening rules.

A significant amount of sites are screened in, not because of the 15 kilometre buffer but because of the compliance with European and National Case law in relation to the consideration of mitigation at screening stage. This is a legal requirement that has to be met and compliance with the law could not be suspended until additional resources were in place.

In relation to an examination with Northern Ireland, Scotland and other countries, I understand that a comparison of the licensing of forestry operations in other Countries will be carried out in the context of the work of Working Group 4 in Project Woodland.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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490. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of forestry licence applications to his Department in June 2019 before the buffer zone was increased to 15 km; the number of forestry licence applications currently with his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34116/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is not possible to say at this remove the number of forestry licences that were on hand prior to June 2019.

The Department made significant changes to its Appropriate Assessment procedures in 2019. These were in relation to increasing the zone of influence for consideration of appropriate assessment from 3 km to 15 km and to implement European and National Case law in relation to the consideration of mitigation at screening stage. It is well known that these substantive changes resulted in delays in the processing of licences and in a backlog of applications. We have invested heavily in ecology resources and training in order to service these new requirements, and have been engaged in a process of continuous improvement, including streamlining of procedures, so that output may improve. These measures are now taking effect, with 1,594 licences issued to date this year which is 27% up on the same time last year.

There is a still a great deal of work to do as there are 5,978 forestry licence applications on hand. Not all of these could be considered to be in backlog, as this figure for instance  includes 1,724 outstanding from the batch application of 1,864 licences received from Coillte in mid-March

In this regard, Project Woodland, which was launched in February this year, has been set up with the objective of reviewing and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the forestry licensing system, as well as the creation of a shared national vision for forestry and the development of a new Forest Strategy.

Two working groups in particular are looking at the licensing situation. Working Group 1 is tasked with looking at the backlog. This Group has examined in detail the cases on hand and is producing specific recommendations for improving output, including a definition of the backlog, which will be brought to the Project Board for consideration. Working Group 4 is concentrating on licensing process improvement. A business analyst has commenced work on an end-to-end process review. In addition, proposals for a pre-application process and a planning grant  are under development  and will be submitted to the Project Board shortly. The Group is also actively considering how best to conduct a regulatory review of the licensing system. The Forestry Policy Group which meets this week will receive a full update on progress to date.

Furthermore, we have set ourselves a target of issuing 4,500 licences this year which is a 75% increase on last year and I remain hopeful that we will reach this target.