Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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258. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which it is expected to reach published targets on forestry; when the plan commenced; when it is expected to achieve the proposed targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18647/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department issued 4,050 forestry licences last year, which is an increase of 56% on the number issued in 2020, and met our revised target of 4,000 licences. It is our intention to build on this momentum in 2022.

The Forestry Licensing Plan was published and commenced in January 2022. The Plan sets out a range of forestry priorities set to run for the whole of 2022.

The main priorities are:

- A target of 5,250 new licences to issue, which is a year-on-year increase of 30%.

- 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 will maintain the levels they achieved in 2021.

- The Department will also refocus on the delivery of approvals from several schemes including Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) (Ash Dieback), the Reconstitution of Woodland Scheme (Frost) and the Native Woodland Scheme.

As can be seen in the table below, as of 1st April 2022 the projected target of year to date licences to be issued was 1,313 and the output of licences was 1,310.

My Department will continue to issue progress updates weekly through our forestry dashboard available here gov.ie - Forest Statistics and Mapping (www.gov.ie). In addition my Department will issue a quarterly progress report for a comprehensive KPI update on implementation of the Licensing Plan.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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259. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which conifers with a capacity to sequestrate up to four times the level of carbon-related emissions are likely to become a feature of afforestation in the future. [18648/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The rate of carbon sequestration by forests depends on a number of different factors which includes the soil present, species and age. Ireland's Afforestation Programme provides financial supports to land owners to plant a range of species. The current requirement under the Forestry Programme is that there is a mix of species and places a target of 30% broadleaves and 70% conifers. Last years afforestation programme in 2021 resulted in 41% of the 2,016 hectares afforested planted with broadleaves.

The recently developed Teagasc Forest Carbon tool, funded by my Department, provides a range of indicative figures for carbon sequestration for different species and soil types.

For example a productive Sitka spruce forest growing on a mineral soil will sequester 8.32 tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year. The total CO2 removed from the atmosphere for these forests is estimated at 444 tonnes of CO2 per hectare over its lifetime. Similarly a slower growing oak forest on mineral soils will remove 2.31 tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year. The total CO2 removed from the atmosphere for the oak forest is estimated at 535 tonnes of CO2 per hectare over its lifetime. These examples illustrate that although the rate at which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere is different for different species the overall carbon removed over the lifetime of each forest can be broadly similar.

Although certain species will remove CO2 at a faster rate as we approach our 2030 and 2050 climate targets we must take into account the wider ecosystem services that forests provide. A mix of forests of different species will provide a balance between a range of services which include climate, biodiversity employment and the provision public goods.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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260. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which the management of forests is being taken seriously with particular reference to the need to ensure that afforestation is an ongoing part of the economy. [18649/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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All forestry activities funded under the current Forestry Programme 2014-2020 (extended to end 2022) must be conducted in line with the principles of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM). My Department offers attractive supports through the Programme to forest owners to assist them in the creation and management of their forests.

These include generous grants and premiums to landowners who wish to plant forestry through the Afforestation Scheme. The Scheme provides 100% establishment grants with annual premiums for up to 15 years, depending on the species chosen.

Support measures for the sustainable ongoing management of forests, are also funded by my Department. The Continuous Cover Forestry scheme is an alternative forest management approach where the forest canopy is maintained at one or more levels without clearfelling. The Woodland Improvement Thinning and Tending Scheme for broadleaves aims to improve the quality and value of retained trees by removing poorer quality stems and redirecting growth onto better quality ones. Protection of forests is further supported by the Deer Fencing Scheme as excluding deer can help trees to establish successfully. The Native Woodland Conservation Scheme aims to conserve existing native woodland and help to convert conifer stands to native woodland at key locations.

My Department supports Forestry Knowledge Transfer Groups whose aim is to increase the level of forest management activity amongst participating forest owners. The target group are those forest owners that require additional knowledge to help them undertake one or more management activities in their forests. KTGs provide the mechanism for gaining this expertise and empower them to manage their own forest over its rotation.

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. SFM is a key tenet of the EU Forest Strategy 2030 which will feed into how we shape this new Irish Forestry Strategy. The Irish strategy will recognise the multi-functionality of forests as yielding social, economic and environmental benefits guided by an overarching commitment to SFM. This new Forest Strategy will underpin a new Forestry Programme for the period 2023 - 2027 which will continue to offer supports for the establishment and management of forests in Ireland.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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261. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has in mind to ensure that the lands suitable for forestry are sufficiently utilised for the plantation of trees in the future; if native deciduous species will be intermingled with species having a greater capacity for sequestration of carbon. [18650/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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All lands suitable for afforestation must be environmentally suitable and have the capacity to grow trees sustainably. My Department has published "Land Types for Afforestation" which sets out the eligibility criteria for grant aid and is based on the capability of lands to produce a sustainable crop of timber. Existing forests and the creation of new forests are important for climate change mitigation and for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The impacts of climate change resulting from increasing temperatures will also have an impact on existing forests and can impact the choice of species to plant in the future. The planting of more resilient forests which contain a mixture of different species will help forests adapt in the future.

All species of broadleaves and conifers remove carbon by sequestration and provide benefits for climate change mitigation when planted on the right site. The rate of carbon sequestration can differ between species. Conifers in general remove carbon at a faster rate than broadleaves. However both types in general store similar amounts when both forests are mature. When assessing the benefits of forests and the mix of forest types planted it is important to recognise the range of non timber benefits which also include biodiversity.

My Department has published the Agriculture, Forest and Seafood Climate Change Sectoral Adaptation Plan which provides information on Ireland's changing climate and the measures that should be taken on how to manage forests now and in the future. This adaptation plan is published on my Departments website.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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262. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the degree to which afforestation is likely to become a serious part of the economy in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18651/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish forestry sector currently contributes significantly to the Irish economy, accounting for an estimated €2.3 billion of GDP and supporting almost 9,400 rural jobs. 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 to promote a good species mix and covers 100% of the cost of establishing a forest. In 2021, total expenditure by my Department was €69.5 million which includes afforestation grants, annual premium payments and grant aid for forest roads.

As the Deputy may be aware, afforestation levels have been declining in recent years and 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.

My Department is very conscious of the afforestation target of 8,000ha per year set out in the Climate Action Plan and supports will be included in the next Forestry Programme to incentivise afforestation. I am committed to working with all our stakeholders to substantially increase our afforestation rates over the next decade thereby contributing even more significantly to the economy.