Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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851. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the anticipated timeline for the introduction of the small-scale tree planting initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22773/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, an amendment to the Forestry Act 2014 has passed through the Houses of the Oireachtas through the vehicle of the Animal Health and Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022.

On 4^thApril 2022, the new legislation was signed into law by the president. This amendment was necessary to remove the licensing requirement for the planting of native woodland in areas not greater than one hectare. It is my objective to increase and encourage interest in small scale planting and I am confident that this change to the Act will remove a barrier to such planting.

The exemption for the creation of up to one hectare of native woodland would be available through a scheme which my Department now intends to design and implement. The development of the scheme will be undertaken following the completion of a Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment, subject to the findings of both assessments.

It is hoped that such a scheme will contribute to the stated policy goal of incentivising small-scale tree planting and of re-engaging farmers with afforestation. The scheme will be drafted in the next three months and will involve stakeholder consultation.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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852. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the engagement and consultation plan for the upcoming forestry programme 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22774/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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A national shared vision for the future of Ireland's trees and forests and a new Forestry Strategy are currently being developed.

An extensive public consultation process on the new strategy is underway. Bilateral stakeholder meetings have taken place over the last number of months. A public attitudes survey and a community engagement survey have already been completed and presented to the Forestry Policy Group. An online public consultation was open from 16^thMarch to 27^thApril and over 3,000 responses were submitted. Deliberative dialogue in the form of a national event is also planned for later this month.

The new Forest Strategy will underpin a new Forestry Programme for the period 2023 - 2027. My Department will engage further with stakeholders on the measures that will be considered for the new Programme and details of this engagement will be made available in the coming weeks.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Programme is also subject to a Strategic Environmental Analysis/Appropriate Assessment process, and this will include public consultation on the draft plans and Environmental Report.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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853. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of his Department's performance in the issuance of licences and scheme approvals to the private sector to date in 2022 in percentage terms versus target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22775/22]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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860. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actual output versus the phased projected monthly plan for licence and scheme approvals in his Departments plan for the month of April 2022 and for year to date for following Coillte felling, private felling, roads, afforestation, ash dieback RUS in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23039/22]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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868. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the processing and issuing of licence and scheme approvals for April 2022 is in line with his phased plan for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23159/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 853, 860 and 868 together.

The 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.

As can be seen in the table below, as of 29th April 2022 the projected target of year to date licences to be issued was 1,717 and the output of licences was 1,655.

A main priority of Forestry Licensing Plan is that my Department will 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 below are the other scheme approvals up to 29^thApril

The 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.