Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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671. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 1256 and 1257 of 2 November 2021, the projected number of tree felling licences, afforestation licences, forest road licences, ash dieback RUS applications, woodland improvement applications, native woodland conservation applications, aerial fertilisation licences and continuous cover forestry applications for the private sector his Department is budgeting on processing and deciding upon per licence and scheme type for 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55735/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is difficult to predict the number of applications we will receive in terms of licences for felling, afforestation, roads and aerial fertilisation in 2022 or in terms of applications for support schemes. It is the case that we have a backlog of licences to work through and as already advised we are dealing with this through the Project Woodland initiative.

In 2022, it is our intention to improve on this year's target of 4,000 afforestation, felling, roads and aerial fertilisation licences and to put a plan in place to deal with applications for support schemes in a timely manner.

My Department will be producing an updated projection for the issuing of such licences in 2022 by end-2021 for communication to all stakeholders.