Written answers

Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Forestry Sector

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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900. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the targeted number of afforestation licences for 2022; the number issued to date; the number his Department expects to issue on average per week for the remainder of 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16601/22]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department published a detailed Forestry Licensing Plan for 2022. The Plan contains a target of 5,250 licences issued this year, which is a year-on-year increase of 30%. The main sub-targets are

- A higher priority will be given to afforestation licences for 2022 with a 107% increase in output up to 1,040.

- There will be a year-on-year increase of 48% of private felling, roads and afforestation files.

- Coillte felling licences are targeted at the same level as 2021.

As can be seen in the table below, as of 25h March 2022 the projected target of year to date licences to be issued was 1,212 and the output of licences was 1,203 i.e. output is 99% of target.

Scheme Output YTDLicences Target YTD Licences
Felling (Private) 355 420
Felling (Coillte) 511 360
Afforestation 155 240
Roads 182 192
Total (licences) 1,203 1,212

Full details of all licences issued by category are available on the weekly dashboard which is published and made available to all interested parties as well as being submitted to the Joint Committee on Agriculture each week.

It is inevitable, in the context of the annual target figures, there will be fluctuations in licence output from week to week.

Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, my priority this year is to deliver on the ambition outlined in the Licensing Plan and to issue 5,250 licences, meeting the projected targets for each category of licence, including afforestation, within that.

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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901. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department expects to continue issuing felling licences at a ratio of 40%:60% private to Coillte for the remainder of 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16602/22]

Photo of Colm BurkeColm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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912. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of private felling licences issued of the total felling licences issued in January, February and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16621/22]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 901 and 912 together.

Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, it is my aim to deliver a licensing system which meets the needs of all those who apply for forestry licences.

This is regardless of whether that application comes from a private individual who wishes to plant trees, a forest owner who wishes to fell their crop, or Coillte who wishes to supply sawmills with product from their estate. Each licence has a value particularly to the rural economy where the timber is harvested, transported and processed.

As regards the issuing of Coillte versus private licences last year we received 3,601 tree felling licence applications, split between 2,299 Coillte and 1,309 private applications (64%/36% respectively). My Department issued 1,345 private felling licences and 1,532 to Coillte in 2021.This highlights that overall, there was no great disparity between Coillte and private licences (47%/53% respectively), notwithstanding the greater number of Coillte applications received

Our plans for licence issue in 2022 are contained in the Forestry Licensing Plan with a target of 5,250 licences issues, which is a year-on-year increase of 30%. This includes an increase of 36% in private felling licences to 1,830, while Coillte felling licences at 1,530 will maintain the levels they achieved in 2021.

The Licensing Plan 2022 may be found here gov.ie - Forestry Licensing Plan 2022 (www.gov.ie).

The table below shows the number of private felling licences and the number of Coillte licences issued monthly by my Department from January 2022 to 18thMarch 2022.

- January 2022 February 2022 To 18th March 2022
Felling Private 144 128 59
Felling Coillte 150 202 109
Total 294 330 168

The table below shows the percentage of private felling licences and the percentage of Coillte licences issued monthly by my Department from January 2022 to 18thMarch 2022.

- January 2022 February 2022 To 18th March 2022
Felling Private % 49% 44% 42%
Felling Coillte % 51% 56% 58%

Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, our priority this year is to deliver on the ambition outlined in Forestry Licensing Plan and to issue 5,250 licences, and to reach the projected targets in each licence category, including private felling.

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