Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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224. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 468 of 7 October 2021, if his Department is unable to fulfil the needs of the forestry sector, not only in terms of licensing but other essential needs such as frost recon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50264/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Further to Parliamentary Question No. 468 of 7^thOctober, 2021, I would like to reiterate that the Department is continuing to consider the case for a Frost Reconstitution Scheme. It is important to note that provision is made for an additional tolerance in the case of frost damage, in terms of payment applications, which was communicated to the sector by way of Circular 9 of 2020, Inspection Standards for Grant-Aided Plantations Affected by Frost.

I am very aware of the obligations that the Department has towards applicants and the forestry industry, but also to ensure that systems and processes are compliant with legal framework. In respect of licensing, outputs have increased. In September, 585 licences issued, the highest in any month since April 2019. We have now issued more licences year to date than the whole of 2020. We are not there yet but we are making significant progress.

The Department is currently examining every afforestation application in the system and has deployed 10 ecologists to deal specifically with afforestation.