Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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325. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the 7,343 hectares referred to by his Department as ready for planting is based on a 100% conversion rate, with the assumption that every licence issued gets planted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3854/23]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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326. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of the 1,005 afforestation contracts described by his Department as ready for planting were approved within the timelines set out in the farmer's charter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3855/23]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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329. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the length of time each of the 1,005 unused afforestation licences were with his Department awaiting a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3868/23]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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330. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the dates each of the 1,005 unused afforestation licences were approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3869/23]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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332. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentages by year for when the 1,005 unused afforestation licences were issued in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3871/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 325, 326, 329, 330 and 332 together.

The Deputy may be aware that those who receive afforestation licences have three years within which to proceed to planting.

Afforestation is demand-led and there may be various reasons why landowners may choose not to plant trees, such as competing uses for the land.

Some 1,007 approved afforestation contracts with over 7,000 ha are ready for planting. We have written to applicants with unused licences to remind them that their licence is still valid and that they now have the opportunity to plant under the Interim Afforestation Scheme ( viaDe Minimis)or to transition into the new Forestry Programme 2023- 2027 when it launches.

The Department is also extending valid unused Afforestation licences until the end of 2023 to give landowners every opportunity to plant.

Based on previous experience, we know there is not 100% conversion rate for every unused licence, however I would be hopeful that the increased premium rates of between 46% and 66% now offered along with a longer term of 20 years for farmers will encourage strong uptake.

It is important that positive messages around planting are communicated and this is the responsibility of all in the sector, especially those in direct contact with farmers and landowners.

The Deputy may be aware the Farmer's Charter refers to approvals of valid afforestation and roads applications within 10 weeks, except where consultation is required under law; 14 to 18 weeks in these cases where practicable. We are therefore providing figures against a 120-day timeline (four months) as all licences require consultation.

The table below outlines the years these licences were received, approved, the percentage approved and the number approved within and outside of the time-frame of 120-days. As outlined below, 57% of the 1,007 valid licences were approved in 2022.

Since the introduction of increased public consultation requirements in 2021 forestry licence applications are subject to an initial 30-days public consultation, during which submissions are accepted from interested parties, and a further 30 day public consultation is undertaken if further environmental assessments are required. This has unavoidably impacted processing times.

I am committed to working with all our stakeholders to substantially increase our afforestation rates over the next decade.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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327. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of licences approved by his Department each year of the past forestry programme which were in breach of the 90-day timeline set out in the farmer's charter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3856/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Due to improved output in forestry licencing this year, we have seen considerable reductions in the backlog of forestry licences and a year-on-year increase in the number of licences issued. Project Woodland Working Group 1 recommended that the backlog is defined as the number of forestry licence applications awaiting a decision over four months. This has reduced from 6,000 applications in August 2021, to 3,700 applications on hand at the start of 2022 to 1,983 on hand by the end of 2022.

As the Deputy may be aware the Farmer's Charter refers to approvals of valid afforestation and roads applications within 10 weeks, except where consultation is required under law; 14 to 18 weeks in these cases where practicable.

I am taking it that the Deputy is therefore referring to afforestation and road licences.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine's Forestry Programme, including the extension applied, ran from 2014 until 2022. Using a 90 day time period, I have set out the figures for afforestation and roads applications below, excluding applications withdrawn or refused.

Percentage of licences approved beyond 90 days.

While the percentages have risen over time, this is a result of the backlog caused by decisions of the courts which greatly expanded the need for ecological reports. The Department has responded to these court decisions by expanding the resources and these are now bearing fruit with the number of afforestation and roads decisions made by the Department increasing steadily since 2020.

In 2022, the Department approved 4,713 forestry licences, including 702 afforestation and 718 roads licences. This is up on 2021 when we approved 4,018 forestry licences, including 502 afforestation and 671 roads licences.

Furthermore increased public consultation requirements impact on processing times and a timeline of around three to four months can no longer be considered reasonable in most cases. As for other planning authorities, there is public consultation process. Forestry licence applications are subject to an initial 30-days public consultation, during which submissions are accepted from interested parties. A further 30-day public consultation is undertaken if further environmental assessments are required.

We are committed to working through licences on hand and delivering for the forestry sector.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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328. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail in tabular form the conversation rate from approval to actual planting for licences approved within 90-days by his Department; the conversation rate from approval to planting of licences approved beyond 90-days in each year of the past forestry programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3867/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In considering conversion rates from Licence approval to Planting, the table below shows the percentage conversion rate of approvals granted in each year (1) where the approval decision was made in less than ninety days (2) where approval was issued in excess of 90 days and (3) the percentage conversion rate of all approvals that were subsequently planted in the three-year lifetime of the approval.

There are now 1,005 approved afforestation contracts with 7,343 ha ready for planting, of which 4,672 hectares or 57% were approved in 2022. there were 366 applications in 2022 of which 135 were approved, Four of these progressed to planting in 2022.The reduction in conversion rates seen in 2022, in the final year of the programme, reflects anticipation of the new programme as well as the fact that there is a three-year window for planting to take place. Afforestation is a demand-led, voluntary land use choice for landowners and there are numerous reasons why landowners may choose not to plant trees.

The new Interim Afforestation Scheme (via General De Minimis) offers increases in premium rates of between 46% and 66%- and 20-year premiums for farmers and already we can see that this has encouraged uptake. In this regard I am pleased to inform the Deputies that under the Interim Afforestation Scheme (Via General De Minimis) to date, we have already in January issued 84 Financial Approval applications for 559 ha of planting as well as 20 commencement notices under the Interim Roads Scheme.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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331. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the area of afforestation applied for each year of the past forestry programme and the actual area planted in each of those years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3870/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The table below shows the hectares applied for in each of the years of the forestry programme 2015-2020 as prolongated to 2022, the hectares approved in these years and the area planted in hectares. The deputy should be aware that there are many instances where the full area approved is not planted.

There are now 1,007 approved afforestation contracts with over 7,000ha are ready for planting, with 57% of these approvals issued in 2022.

I am confident that the €1.3 billion funding for the new forestry programme will incentivise farmers and other landowners to embrace forestry as a attractive land use option over the next five years.