Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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562. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of afforestation licences in the past three years that were approved by his Department within a month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35810/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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All Afforestation licence applications are subject to a 30-day public consultation period. The Department is not in a position to make a decision on any licence until these 30 days have passed and consideration has been given to any submissions received.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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563. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of afforestation licences that were approved by his Department within a month which did not progress to planting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35811/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is not possible to approve a forestry licence within one month of receipt of application as there is a mandatory 30-day consultation for every application received.

I would like to emphasise that following receipt of an afforestation licence, it is entirely up to applicants whether they wish to realise the licence granted. This conversion rate remains disappointingly low as there is approximately 4,000 unused hectares available to forestry companies to plant.

I continue to encourage all applicants to do so and to avail of the generous premiums available for afforestation. The Department has engaged with sectoral representatives to consider whether anything else can be done to improve the conversion from approval to planting.