Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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369. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the work being carried out on the matter of roads and thinning of forestry and the possible exemption from regulatory controls of these matters in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3999/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Last November, as part of Project Woodland, my Department engaged the services of an external body with expertise in legal and environmental legislation to conduct a legal and regulatory review of forestry licensing.This external review is well underway and includes a review of the requirement for legal consent for thinning and forest roads.

The final report is due in February. Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, we are committed to see a continued improvement in the overall forestry licensing area.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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370. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all felling licences that are being issued at present are being issued to Coillte with nothing made available to the private sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4000/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In 2021, my Department issued 2,877 tree felling licences. Of these, 1,532 were issued to Coillte Teo and the remaining 1,341 issued to private applicants. Since the start of this year, the Department has issued 112 tree felling licences to private applicants and 72 to Coillte.