Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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681. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for excluding the Slievethoul and Saggart Hill forests from the conversion process to multi-generational broadleaf forests under the Dublin Mountains Makeover initiative run by Coillte Nature; if he will consider including these forests in the new scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2940/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and as such is operationally independent from my Department. I have therefore referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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682. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of Coillte road licences issued on the forestry licensing dashboard on week 2 January 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3000/22]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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702. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of private roads issued on the forestry licensing dashboard on week 2 January 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3469/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 682 and 702 together.

For week ending 14^thJanuary, my Department issued 18 forest road licences, 7 of these were from Coillte Teo and the remaining 11 were private applicants.

The number of road licences issued in 2021 was 671 in respect of 264 kilometres which is double the target in the Climate Action Plan 2021. We intend to build on this momentum and are currently finalizing a forestry licensing plan for 2022, which will include targets across all categories including forest road licences.

Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, I remain fully committed to delivering a licensing system which will meets the needs of the sector and of society and recent licensing trends demonstrate that we making progress towards achieving this