Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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662. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1255 of 2 November 2021, if his attention has been drawn to clear fell sites which have not fulfilled their replanting obligation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55471/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As I previously mentioned, every tree felling licence, save limited exceptions carries an obligation to replant. Forests that are clear felled on maturity are managed as a crop, therefore, it is in the forest owner’s interest to replant after felling, to start a new rotation.

My Department carries out post-felling inspections. Provisions within the Forestry Act 2014 apply to non-compliance with the requirement to replant and can include for instance the issuance of a replanting order.

At all times, reports from the public indicating where trees have not been replanted – within the replanting timeframe, are welcomed and will be followed up directly by my Department.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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663. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an application (details supplied) that has been before the Forest Service since 2019 will be approved without delay; the reason for the delay in the processing of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55563/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In this particular case, the application for the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme which was submitted on behalf of the person named in September 2019 was withdrawn and an application for a larger area was submitted in October 2020.

A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been received for this application and, as a consequence, a second 30-day public consultation, which a requirement under S.I. 293 of 2021 for cases subject to Appropriate Assessment, has been undertaken and has been completed. The case is currently referred to my Department's Ecology Unit, to have the ecological assessment undertaken (taking into account any submissions received).

As part of this proposed afforestation is within a European site, the approval of the NPWS is required before a licence may be granted and we are following up with NPWS on the matter. Once we receive a response from NPWS we will aim to issue a decision to the applicant within 6 weeks.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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664. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 392 of 4 November 2021, the number of the 27 ecologists who signed off on the 56 Coillte felling licences in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55621/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The number and type of DAFM staff, including ecologists, working on the processing of particular types of files can vary from week to week. Our overall aim is to manage resources to maximise output.

I am pleased that licencing output has averaged 115 new licences each week since the beginning of September and our aim is to continue and if possible increase this output.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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665. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 1231 to 1239 of 2 November 2021, the number of reminders that have to be sent out and that have been sent out since 2 November 2021 when stating that his Department will shortly send out reminders to those who have not yet provided the information sought in reference to the further information letters sent out in June 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55687/21]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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666. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos, 1231 to 1239 of 2 November 2021, the number of reminders that are scheduled to be sent out in the week commencing 15 November 2021 when stating that his Department will shortly send out reminders to those who have not yet provided the information sought in reference to the further information letters sent out in June 2021; when all reminders will be actually sent out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55688/21]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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667. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 1231 to 1239 of 2 November 2021, the number of such reminders for similar information that have been sent out by licence and scheme type in each week since 1 January 2019 when stating that his Department will shortly send out reminders to those who have not yet provided the information sought in reference to the further information letters sent out in June 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55689/21]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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668. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 1231 to 1239 of 2 November 2021, the number of requests for further information by licence and scheme type sent out weekly since 1 January 2019 by licence and scheme type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55690/21]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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669. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 1231 to 1239 of 2 November 2021, if no reminders have been sent to applicants in circumstances in which the information sought in June 2021 has already been provided to his Department when stating that his Department will shortly send out reminders to those who have not yet provided the information sought in reference to the further information letters sent out in June 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55691/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 665 to 669, inclusive, together.

The Deputy refers to Parliamentary Question number 941 of 19 October, 2021, in which I gave a breakdown of the 420 tree felling licence applications, that were referred to Ecology, where further information by way of a harvest plan or amended harvest plan was required from the applicant. This followed a large triage exercise undertaken by my Department of licences on hand for processing.

This exercise has allowed us to significantly increase our output of forestry licences with over 790 private sector felling licences issued since 1 June. However, approximately half of the requests for further information remain unanswered and cannot be processed until they are submitted. Follow- up reminders for these cases, 234 in total, issued in the week ending 5th November, 2021.

Specific information on the number of Further Information Requests issued by licence type and scheme by week since 2019 is not readily available.

This more recent exercise was for a specific cohort of files, rather than at individual file level, which is why we have immediate statistics to hand. We will examine the other request to establish if such statistics can be compiled.