Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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666. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if farmers whose existing forestry is affected by ash dieback can access compensation or other financial support under the reconstitution and underplanting scheme; if he intends to support these farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61786/22]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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671. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the compensation plans that his Department is putting in place to support farmers whose forest has been affected by ash dieback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61831/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 666 and 671 together.

Since the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, the Department has provided support totalling over €7 million to owners of ash plantations impacted by ash dieback disease through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme (introduced in 2013) and more recently via the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (Ash Dieback) introduced in July 2020.

The current scheme provides 100% grant aid to landowners to clear their ash crop, replant with an alternate species and manage their forest until successfully established. For sites undergoing reconstitution, Forest Owners are able to choose to replant with a number of proposed Forest Types and the grant rates offered correspond to the equivalent rate offered in the Afforestation Scheme. If Forest Owners are still in receipt of premiums for their forests through the Afforestation Scheme they are paid at the premium rate that is equivalent to the Forest Type that they opt to replant with.

I have secured a package of €1.3 billion for forestry which will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme to date in Ireland and it is intended to continue to offer the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme through the next Forestry Programme which will cover the period from 2023-2027.

The Programme, and the Forestry Strategy, which is the framework within which it operates, has recently closed a public consultation from which we are currently collating and reviewing the feedback received, and this in turn will inform the final versions.

I have, of course, met with landowners whose forests have ash dieback and I am more than aware of their concerns and I will continue to work to address them.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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667. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has engaged with the EU Commission regarding the forestry programme that is due to commence in January 2023; if the Commission has expressed any concerns in relation to same; if State aid approval has been agreed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61800/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 requires State Aid to implement. Minister of State, Pippa Hackett met with Commissioners Virginijus Sinkevicius and Janusz Wojciechowski earlier this year to update them on Irish forestry, particularly the extensive public consultation undertaken on the Shared National Vision for Trees, Woods and Forests in Ireland until 2050 and the subsequent development of the new Forest Strategy and Forestry Programme.

The current State Aid Guidelines in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas are due to expire on 31 December 2022 and be replaced with a revised version expected in January 2023. A formal application for State Aid cannot be submitted until these revised guidelines are in place. My Department is engaged with the Commission, who have facilitated the submission of a pre-notification for this State Aid in November, ahead of the formal submission for January 2023.

The Department continues to engage bi-laterally with the relevant Directorate-Generals in the Commission in order to advance the State Aid approval.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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668. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the recourse that is available to forestry licence applicants who seek a review of a district inspector's decision, if such a review has not been conducted within 12months of the request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61801/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Agriculture Appeals Act, 2001, was amended by the Forestry Act 2014 to include a new Section 14A which provides for an appeals service against decisions on forestry licence applications.

The legislation led to the establishment of the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) in 2018. The Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) provides an appeals service where, if a person is dissatisfied with a decision on a Forestry licence application, they may submit an appeal against a decision on a licence, concerning the following: afforestation, felling, forest road works, aerial fertilisation

Appeals must be submitted by post on a notice of appeal form and the fee of €200 must accompany the notice of appeal otherwise the appeal will not be accepted. The postal address is Forestry Appeals Committee, Agriculture Appeals Office, Kilminchy Court, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, R32 DTW5. The Notice of Appeal Form must be signed by the Appellant. FAC appeals forms can be found here: Agriculture Appeals Office - Forestry Appeals Committee (agriappeals.gov.ie)

Any decisions issued are subject to the statutory 14-day deadline i.e. the FAC Notice of Appeal Form must be received by the FAC along with the €200 fee within 14 days of the decision.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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669. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is compulsory for ecology reports to accompany forestry licence applicants; if not, if his Department has a policy on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61802/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Ecology reports are not mandatory at application stage but may be required based on the nature and location of an individual application.

When the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) receives a forestry licence application, amongst other things, my officials carry out an Appropriate Assessment 'screening' to assess if there is a possibility of the proposed forestry project having an effect, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects on a European site.

It is normal in the planning system where applications are “screened-in” for Appropriate Assessment for the planning body to request a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) from the applicant. In early 2020 I introduced legislation that allowed DAFM to carry out Appropriate Assessment Reports thereby relieving the applicant of the burden of providing NISs. It is now rare for DAFM to request a NIS from private applicants across all licence types.

Depending on the site in question an ecology report may be sought from the applicant to deal with specific issues that may come up on any given site. For example, an ecology report could involve a bird survey to ascertain if a site is used by a certain species of bird.