Written answers

Wednesday, 30 June 2021

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Forestry Sector

Photo of Michael LowryMichael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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331. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 197, 198, 199 and 203 of 19 May 2021, if he will complete a needs analysis survey of the industry to develop metrics of the requirements for licensing and scheme approvals in the private sector which can inform project woodland given that it is not possible to say with any certainty, the number of licenses that must issue to achieve various targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35020/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Under Project Woodland, Working Group (WG) 1 are tasked with making recommendations to the Project Board in relation to deliverables and milestones in relation to processing sufficient licences for the sector and dealing with the current backlog of licences. Working Group 1 has a wide representation of stakeholders that are well placed to carry out these tasks and will receive any assistance they require in terms of their work in determining the requirement of the sector in terms of the Departments licensing and scheme approvals. In addition, WG 3 are working on a customer charter for applicants.

I expect recommendations on both of these to issue soon to the Project Board overseeing the implementation of Project Woodland who will give it their full and immediate attention.

Photo of Michael LowryMichael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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332. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209 and 210 of 19 May 2021, if he has informed working group 2 of the failure in public consultation procedures that occurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35021/21]

Photo of Michael LowryMichael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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333. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 204 205, 206, 207,208, 209 and 210, of 19 May 2021, if, given that many of the comments were just suggested textual changes to improve the practical implementation of various measure set out in the documents; the reason for not releasing the submissions received to the public domain to prove same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35022/21]

Photo of Michael LowryMichael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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334. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209 and 210 of 19 May 2021, if any TFL issued with conditionality of adhering to the standards for felling and reafforestation are enforceable by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35023/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 to 334, inclusive, together.

New interim ‘Standards for Felling and Reforestation’were circulated to the sector in October 2019 and this is still the current document today. These Standards immediately replaced the measures relating to felling which were set out in ‘Forest Harvesting & the Environment Guidelines (2000)’.

The 2019 document sets out the standards that apply to all felling (thinning and clearfelling) and reforestation projects on all sites throughout Ireland, undertaken under a felling licence issued by the Department under the Forestry Regulations, 2017 (S.I. No. 191/2017).

When released in October 2019, comments on the document were sought from stakeholders and I understand ten submissions were received. Many of the comments suggested textual changes to improve the practical implementation of various measures set out in the document.

The Department has, in the past, released submissions received in relation to its consultation processes. In relation to the consultation process around the Standards for Felling and Reforestation, when requests for submissions were sought, it was not stated that these submissions would be made public and, therefore, they were not made public. To make these submissions public, the Department would first have to seek the permission of the consultees.

Where stated as a condition of a felling licence, they are a legal requirement. Failure to adhere to a condition of a licence may result in a licence being suspended or revoked. This is enforceable.

Under the ‘Implementation of the Mackinnon Report’, the updating of 2019 Forest Standard documents is a key deliverable. The Department is committed to updating this document and appropriate consultation will be put in place to support this.

Photo of Michael LowryMichael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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335. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 358 and 359 of 20 May 2021, if the proposed scheme to plant trees along rivers and watercourses to act as carbon sinks and interceptors of nutrients currently being prepared by the Minister for State will be considered afforestation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35024/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provides grant aid for the establishment of a wide range of tree planting measures which play an important role in environmental protection and removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere. Forests which are 0.1 hectares or more in size have the capacity to reach at least five metres in height and, with a minimum canopy cover of at least 20%, are accounted for and reported under Ireland's international reporting requirements.

Any existing and new tree planting measures proposed which satisfy these criteria will be reported and accounted against Ireland's climate change targets.

Photo of Michael LowryMichael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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336. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 358 and 359 of 20 May 2021, if the proposed scheme to plant trees along rivers and watercourses to act as carbon sinks and interceptors of nutrients currently being prepared by the Minister for State will facilitate the owner of the land being the beneficial owner of the carbon and environmental services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35025/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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There is no inherent private property right to greenhouse gas emissions or removals by forests, whether on lands held by the State or privately owned. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provides grant aid for the establishment of a wide range of tree planting measures which play an important role in environmental protection and removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere.

Forests which are 0.1 hectares or more in size, have the capacity to reach at least five metres in height and with a minimum canopy cover of at least 20% are accounted and reported under Ireland's international reporting requirements under the forest land use categories. Any existing and new tree planting measures proposed which satisfy these criteria will be reported and accounted against Ireland's climate change targets by the State.

The EU Green Deal and farm to fork strategy will examine ways to incentivise farmers to encourage carbon farming initiatives. Forests and tree planting measures play a positive role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Any existing and proposed tree planting measures will be targeted at protecting the environmental and removing carbon dioxide form the atmosphere.

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