Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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1541. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an application by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry for a felling licence will be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41980/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department received an application for a tree felling licence from the person named in October 2020.  Following an initial examination, archaeological sites and features were identified and the application was referred to my Department’s Archaeological Unit.  The application contains multiple plots with operations planned over 10 years and the site is close to five recorded monuments.  Conditions for the protection of the archaeological features have been finalised with the National Monuments Service (NMS).  

Furthermore, the proposed site lies near five designated sites. The possible effects of the tree felling operations may have on these sites cannot be excluded and, therefore, the application has been referred to the Department’s Ecology Unit.  The harvest plan has been submitted with the application, which has assisted with the ecological assessment of the proposed operations.  The application was assigned to an ecologist and their examination of the application is almost complete.  The application is now opened for 30 days’ public consultation.  When the public consultation closes, the ecologist will finalise the ecological reports, return the file to the forestry inspector who will review and make their recommendations and the decision should issue shortly thereafter.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1542. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding forestry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41985/21]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1545. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce a payment for eco systems (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41991/21]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1546. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41992/21]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1547. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a forest owner producers organisation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41994/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1542, 1545, 1546 and 1547 together.

As the Deputy is probably aware, Project Woodland was launched in February this year, 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 for the future of forests in Ireland. The new Forestry Programme will be the enabler of the short term goals of this new Forest Strategy and it will be the successor to the current Forestry Programme which is in place until the end of 2022.

Substantial work is under way on all the activities recommended by Jo O’Hara in her report. The first Project Woodland Project Board Interim Report submitted by the Project Board to my colleague Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, was published on 1^stJuly 2021. The interim report is available for download from my Department’s website (www.gov.ie/en/publication/642e6-forestry/#project-woodland) and sets out progress on work undertaken by the Working Groups. The report also provides an overview on decisions taken by the Project Board to date. For example, the Project Board has agreed to advance two Working Group recommendations immediately: an external regulatory review and the conducting of a public consultation process on the new Forest Strategy.

Matters, such as payment for eco systems services in recognition of the range of the environmental services provided by forests, the removal of restrictions on planting productive marginal land, grant and premium structures, and support to producer groups will be part of the discussions that will take place as part of the development of the new Forest Strategy and Forestry Programme. There will be opportunity for all interested stakeholders to contribute to this process as part of the public consultation process.

In relation to Producer Groups, I would like to highlight a finding from the Mid-term review of the current Forestry Programme which found that that there are sufficient producer groups in place throughout the country and that there may be a requirement to amalgamate existing groups.