Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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418. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 586 of 27 September 2022, if all elements and amounts of the ash dieback reconstitution and underplanting scheme grant are classified as de minimis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49385/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that the Ash Dieback Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) is wholly funded by the exchequer and all payments under the Scheme are made in accordance with the general de minimis regulation (Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013).

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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419. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he accepts that forest management companies must pay VAT on mandated grants paid by the Forestry Service of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49386/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Forestry Division of my Department pays grants for the establishment of forests and for various support schemes under the afforestation programme. These grants are payable exclusive of VAT to the forest owner to cover the costs of the operations.

The forest owner will, normally, contract the operations to a forester or forestry company. My Department provides the facility for the forest owner to mandate the payment of the grant to that forester or forestry company. This is an optional facility provided on mutual agreement between the contracting parties, and has been an attractive and much used option.

The tax treatment of the grant will be that which is applicable to the forest owner, who is the actual recipient of the grant. The accountable person for VAT is the supplier of the service, in this case the forester or forestry company.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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420. 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 September 2022 for each of the following, Coillte felling, private felling, roads, afforestation, ash dieback, the reconstitution and underplanting scheme, respectively in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49387/22]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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421. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the actual applications versus the phased projected monthly plan for licence and scheme applications in his Departments plan for the month of September 2022 and to date in 2022 for Coillte felling, private felling, roads, afforestation, ash dieback, the reconstitution and underplanting scheme, respectively in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49388/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 421 together.

There is an overall significant increase accross all licensing categories in the year to date compared with last year. Up to 30th September, we have issued 3,629 licences, just behind the projected target of 3,939, In fact, in the 12 months from September 2021 to the end of September 2022.

My Department has delivered 5,000 licences. In addition, there are 933 approved afforestation contracts with 6,882 ha that have not yet been planted.

In terms of the our targets in the year-to date, we are at 93% of our end to September target for roads, 89% for private felling and over 100% for Coillte felling. Afforestation figures are 68% of year-to-date target. However, since July there have been significant signs of improvement as a result of the new ecologists starting to issue licences, with 97 licences issued in September for example. We are embarking on an intensive effort over the last few weeks and next few weeks to prioritise afforestation with an aim of clearing older files ahead of the new forestry programme.

As regards RUS, while we committed in our Licensing Plan to increasing output this year, the Plan does not include an annual target as many RUS applications are screened in for Appropriate Assessment and are referred to ecology. There are 520 applications currently in the system, of which 207 are referred to Ecology. Any applications that propose replacing the ash crop with conifer species currently require planning permission.

The introduction of the legislation to remove the requirement for planning permission for RUS projects of less than 10ha in size is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I understand that his Department completed the first stage in the Strategic Environment Assessment screening process and notified the prescribed statutory consultees on 22nd September 2022. Those statutory consultees have 4 weeks to respond to the notice. An Appropriate Assessment screening process is also currently being undertaken in parallel by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage’s Ecological Assessment Unit. I am hopeful that the legislation can be introduced once these processes have been finalised.

The table below outlines applications received and licence output vs target in each of the licensing categories, as well as RUS applications received and issued.

In the interest of full transparency, details of all licences issued by category are available on my Departments weekly dashboard. This is published on the Departmental website and is made available to all interested parties, as well as being submitted to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine each week.