Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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558. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of afforestation licences his Department will issue for July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35791/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The weekly statistics issued by the Department show clearly that there has been an increase in forestry licence output from mid-May with an average of 95 licences having been issued each week for the last six weeks. Last month was the highest month of the year so far with 411 licences issuing. It is not possible to say at this stage how many afforestation licences will issue in July.

I would like to assure the Deputy that, along with my colleague Minister of State Pippa Hackett who has overall responsibility for forestry, I remain committed to issuing 4,500 forestry licences this year, which is an increase of 75% on 2020, albeit that last year was a low output year.

To the end June, 1,758 licences have already issued, with 105 licences issued last week. In accordance with the trend perceived, it is anticipated that the second half of the year will be higher than the first half for licences issued and that the 4,500 target will be met by year-end. The 4,500 licences issued will comprise of Afforestation, Forest Road and Felling licences.

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.

I believe that the framework now in place under Project Woodland will deliver on its objectives and I am hopeful that this will provide encouragement to farmers and landowners to go into forestry, or to realise the planting licences they have already received, and to avail of the attractive premiums available under the Department’s Schemes.