Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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744. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the levels of resourcing and staffing for the purposes of carrying out environmental impact assessments and appropriate assessments in respect of forestry; if there have been changes in the levels of staffing and resourcing from September 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12459/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has invested heavily in both ecologist and forestry Inspector resources over the last two years in order to meet the needs of the licencing system, which was changed significantly as a result of ECJ and High Court cases. 

Ecologists are involved in a range of duties but ecological assessments and in particular Appropriate Assessments form the majority of their work. As of 1^stJanuary this year we had 27 full-time equivalent ecologists where in September 2019 we had just one.  This is made of part time and full time ecologists, some permanent and mostly contract. Over half of this 27 had been taken on by September 2020.

The results of this investment in resources are clear as my Department issued 4,050 forestry licences in 2021 a 56% increase on 2020 figures.  For 2022 our aim is to increase this again to 5,250 licences.  

Recently the Department put out another Request for Tender for Ecological services.  This has just concluded and will give the Department more flexibility in hiring additional ecologists to achieve our 2022 targets.