Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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172. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he intends increasing afforestation grant rates immediately for both existing and new projects given the serious increases in costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16996/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The current Forestry Programme, which commenced in 2015 and has been extended to the end of 2022, provides significant supports for afforestation. This includes grants and premiums for 12 different planting categories in order to promote a good species mix and the grant rate were calculated to cover 100% of the cost of establishing a forest. The current Programme was subject to a midterm review in 2018 which assessed the rates paid for all forestry schemes and increased the grants for all 12 categories of afforestation..

As the Deputy may be aware, Project Woodland was established in February 2021 to ensure that the current licensing backlog is addressed and that a new impetus is brought to woodland creation in Ireland. A national shared vision for the future of Ireland's trees and forests and a new Forestry Strategy are currently being developed. This new Forest Strategy will underpin a new Forestry Programme for the period 2023 - 2027.

An extensive public consultation process on the new strategy has commenced, and on-line portal is open since 16th March, 2022. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to raise any issues that they feel need to be addressed, including cost increases, with the Department. Work on the next Forestry Programme will include a review of grant rates and the Department will examine current forestry operational costs during that process.

In the meantime, the Department is introducing an enhanced payment for applicants and forestry companies to acknowledge the additional cost of submitting the various environmental reports where required. This will be delivered through a higher payment made when planting is complete.

The Department is very conscious of the afforestation target of 8,000ha per year set out in the Climate Action Plan and I am committed to working with all our stakeholders to substantially increase our afforestation rates over the next decade.

Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has responsibility for the sector, I am committed to having a fit-for-purpose sector.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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173. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of forest road approvals his Department must approve from now until the end of 2022 to ensure that all of the applications currently on hand in his Department are dealt with by 31 December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16997/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In 2021, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine issued 671 forest road works licences for 264km which is the highest ever volume of forest roads licensed in a single year. I believe that the volume of timber felled in 2021, based on the available forest road network and new forest road licences issued, was sufficient to stabilise the supply of timber to saw mills.

The Forestry Licensing plan for 2022 provides for the licensing of 5,250 applications for felling, forest roads and afforestation, an increase of 30% on 2021. Within that, the target for forest road licences is 850, an increase of 27% on 2021. This will be more than sufficient to deal any backlog and enable the haulage of timber from the forest estate when added to the existing roads already approved or installed in Irish forests.

I am committed to meeting the needs of the forest sector so that we have a thriving and sustainable industry and we will play our part by providing sufficient road and felling licences to service the industry this year.