Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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766. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the rationale for the transfer of €7 million in capital expenditure from the forestry budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61234/21]

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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767. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to ensure that the €7 million in capital expenditure intended to be moved from the forestry budget is spent on community and small-scale tree-planting initiatives for National Tree Week 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61235/21]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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771. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the €7 million being returned from the forestry budget is a result of the inability of his Department to deliver afforestation licences to the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61438/21]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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772. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the forestry sector will be allocated financial support to repair plantations damaged by late spring frost in recent years given the fact that €7 million in capital spending is being moved from the forestry budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61439/21]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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784. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 743 of 30 November 2021, his views on assessing a case for a frost recon scheme which has been ongoing since 2019; the reason his Department has not utilised the €7 million unused forestry budget for the frost recon scheme to support forest owners whose forests have been damaged by frost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61514/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 766, 767, 771, 772, 782 and 784 together.

It is standard accounting practice that towards the end of a fiscal year spending Divisions within the Department will review their commitments for the remainder of the year and release funds that are not committed nor are unlikely to be committed.

The funds released will be disbursed for other commitments across my Department. There remains sufficient funds in the forestry allocation to pay this year's commitments across all afforestation and support schemes, including the ash dieback scheme.

The Department has no plans to expand the ash dieback scheme at present but will continue to keep it under close review.

This underspend in forestry arose because new planting in 2021 was less than anticipated and this is a matter of concern to me. It appears at this stage that the number of hectares of new afforestation, which we calculate as forestry in respect of which a first grant and premium has been paid, will be somewhere in the region of 2,000 hectares. This is despite over 4,000 hectares licensed and approved.

There are 5,000 hectares of approved forestry licences issued and ready for use. I encourage anyone with a valid afforestation licence to plant their land, thereby accessing generous annual premiums and 100% establishment grants.

Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, we accept that delays in issuing afforestation licences may be a contributory factor in terms of low levels of planting and we are addressing these licensing delays through Project Woodland. As regards afforestation, outputs are not where I’d like them to be but there are signs of improvement. My Department is prioritising the assessment of afforestation licences on hand, using the same system as was applied to felling licences, which yielded good results.

Ten Ecologists are now dedicated to afforestation, with more to be recruited. In addition to recruiting new staff I am also reallocating existing Administrative, Forestry Inspectorate and Ecology resources to afforestation licensing files. I expect these changes to result in a higher level of output of afforestation licences than before.

On the matter of community and small scale tree-planting, the Deputy may be aware that we have a Neighbourhood Scheme which supports close-to-home woodland amenities for public use and enjoyment, and that we are seeking to amend the Forestry Act 2014 to increase small-scale native tree planting without the need for an afforestation licence. In terms of the frost reconstitution scheme, I understand Minister Pippa Hackett, who has direct responsibility for forestry, discussed recently with stakeholders and the matter is under consideration.

With over €100 million provided for in the forestry budget for 2022, I am satisfied that there are sufficient funds to fully support increased afforestation and all other forestry related schemes in 2022.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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768. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that an application before the Forest Service by persons (details supplied) submitted on 20 October 2020 is still awaiting a decision and is being delayed by the NPWS which apparently has no wildlife ranger in place to provide a report; the action he is taking to deal with the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61323/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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An application for the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme was submitted on behalf of the persons named in October, 2020. The application was referred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

As the site is partly within a designated site, the Department is obliged to seek specific approval from NPWS. This approval is currently awaited and we have issued another reminder to the NPWS to give us their opinion as it is overdue.