Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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643. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breakdown of afforestation licences, private felling licences and Coillte felling licences issued since the end of January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59783/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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To end-November, the Department has issued 3,654 forestry licences, including afforestation, felling and forest road licences, this year. This is an increase of 57% on what was issued to the same point last year.

In that time, 468 afforestation licences have issued for 3,881ha. For tree felling licences a total of 1,208 have issued to private landowners and 1,378 to Coillte, (15,688ha and 11,103ha respectively).

The Department publishes a range of forestry licence statistics both on its website and weekly in the Forestry Dashboard.

There has been an increase in licences issued in recent months, with on average 116 licences per week issuing over 13 weeks to 26th November, 2021. This has reflected a greater output of felling licences with slower progress in issuing afforestation licences. Efficiencies that have been in place for some months for tree felling and forest road licence processing are now being applied to afforestation licences.

I would like to reiterate my commitment and that of Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, in ensuring that we maintain and improve on our licence delivery for the benefit of the sector and for society as a whole.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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644. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if areas of tree planting proposed in the next CAP of three plants per eligible hectare will be included in the Government's accounting of afforestation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59784/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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All forests planted that are 0.1 ha or more in size are accounted and reported under the land use category called “forestry” for greenhouse gas reporting by the EPA.

Forests are defined as areas which are 0.1 hectares or more in size and which have the capacity to reach at least five meters in height and with a minimum canopy cover of at least 20%. Ireland uses this definition as defined in the LULUCF regulation, that is forest areas are defined as 0.1 hectare in size, to account for all forest plots that meet, these criteria.

The target of 8,000 hectare new afforestation per year as set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021 will include all DAFM tree planting measures that are 0.1 hectare in size or more.

This target will include forestry programme tree planting measures and any potential other tree planting measures supported through the CAP Strategic Plantings that meet the 0.1 hectare or more in size definition.