Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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356. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and area of ash dieback RUS applications lodged with his Department that remain to be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15986/23]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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357. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm the number and area of Ash dieback RUS approvals that were eligible for the interim reconstitution scheme for Ash dieback, as outlined in circular 4 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15987/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 357 together.

The Deputy may be aware that the first confirmed finding of Ash Dieback Disease (Hymenoscyphus fraxineaus) in Ireland was made on 12 October 2012 at a forestry plantation site in County Leitrim which had been planted in 2009 with trees imported from continental Europe.

In March 2013 the Department introduced a Reconstitution Scheme (Chalara Ash Dieback) to restore forests planted under the afforestation scheme which had suffered from, or which were associated with plants affected by disease.

Following a Review of the National Response to Ash Dieback Disease arising from scientific advice and evidence that eradication of ash dieback disease is no longer feasible the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (Ash Dieback) was launched in June 2020.

A total of €8.9 million has been expended to date on both schemes. These schemes included a grant for site clearance as well as replanting.

Earlier this month, Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has responsibility for the sector, launched an Interim Reconstitution Scheme for Ash Dieback via general de minimis which contains a doubling of site clearance rates, increased grant rates and an improved premium regime. The interim scheme includes the following enhanced features:

- Enhanced site clearance grant rate, increased to €2,000.

- Enhanced grant rates as per draft Forestry programme 2023-2027

- Those applicants whose sites are still in premium will continue to receive the premium due for the remaining years.

- In addition, for those in receipt of farmer rate of premium, a top up premium equal to the difference between the equivalent forestry type and the existing premium will be paid. This will be calculated for the remaining years left in premium and paid in a single sum.

There are 154 applications, covering approximately 500ha eligible for this scheme.

The Deputy will be aware that my Department is working closely with the EU Commission to secure State Aid approval for the new forestry programme and a scheme for the reconstitution of ash dieback will be launched as part of that programme. State Aid Guidelines provide for aid for the restoration of damage to forests caused by a variety of events including damage from disease and pests. It is likely that this new scheme will be similar to the interim scheme.

In terms of RUS applications which were applied for before 31st December, 2022, but not issued, there are 589 applications covering 2570ha.

We are continuing to process these so that they can transition into the new Programme as seamlessly as possible when it opens.

My Department continues to review the operation of the ash dieback scheme, having regard to its effectiveness, the status of the plantations, state aid regulations and other issues having regard to the age and stage of the rotation of the almost 16,000 hectares of ash that were grant aided between 1999 and 2013.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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358. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and area of afforestation licences lodged with his Department that remain to be approved, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15988/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In 2022 we saw a significant increase in the issuing of afforestation licences, with my Department issuing 702 afforestation licences for an area of 4,972 hectares. Valid unused Afforestation licences are being extended until the end of 2023 to give landowners every opportunity to plant and they will attract increased premium rates and a longer term of 20 years for farmers.

In relation to the new forestry programme my Department is actively engaging with the Commission with a view to securing full State Aid approval as soon as possible.

In terms of afforestation applications which were applied for before 31st December, 2022, but not yet issued, there are 440 applications covering 4145ha, broken down by year in the below table.

They are at various stages of completion within the Assessment process; some where my Department is awaiting further information from the applicant, others where the application is undergoing one of the public consultation stages and finally those being considered by Forestry Division officials for approval.

We are continuing to process these applications so that they can transition into the new Programme as seamlessly as possible when it opens.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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359. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the growing of trees and the managing of woodlands and forestry is a farming activity and whether any farmer engaged in it is an active farmer for CAP purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15989/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Farmers are deemed active farmers, even if their entire holding is afforested under the National Forestry Programme, provided they continue to manage the forestry in compliance with the conditions of that scheme.

In terms of eligibility for direct payment schemes, land afforested since 2009, which was eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme, will continue to be eligible for payments under the new Basic Income Support Scheme (BISS). Land eligible for BISS prior to afforestation, which is afforested from 2023 onwards, will continue to be eligible for BISS. In both cases the afforested land must meet the requirements of the Afforestation grant and premium schemes. A claimant for BISS on afforested land must be the beneficiary of the forestry scheme payments.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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360. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and area of private sector tree felling licences lodged with his Department that are not yet approved, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16013/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine continues to issue and accept felling licence applications and has to date this year issued 725 felling licences. Furthermore last year we issued record levels of felling licences at 3,293 for 9.6 million cubic metres of wood or 46,027 Hectares. These licences have up to 10 year timelines and are being used by forest owners providing work for forestry contractors and supplying sawmills.

As of 27th March 2023, there are 1,291 private sector felling licence applications. totalling an area of 18,539 hectares, which are not as yet approved. They are at various stages of completion within the Assessment process; some where my Department is awaiting further information from the applicant, others where the application is undergoing one of the public consultation stages and finally those being considered by for approval.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine continues to issue and accept felling licence applications and has to date this year issued 725 felling licences. Furthermore last year we issued record levels of felling licences at 3,293 for 9.6 million cubic metres of wood. These licences have up to 10 year timelines and are being used by forest owners providing work for forestry contractors and supplying sawmills.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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361. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide details of the availability of private sector and Coillte logs for the processing sector in Ireland for 2023 and 2024; if he will outline the percentages of the total for each, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16014/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The COFORD Council who provide advice to my Department prepare periodically a range of indicative roundwood forecasts for forests in Ireland. The most recent forecast was published in 2021 and provides indicative figures for the period 2021 to 2040. This forecast is available to download from the COFORD website at the address www.COFORD.ie.

The COFORD forecast 2021-2040, table 5 provides the following figures for the potential supply of roundwood for a range of diameters from seven centimeters to over 20 centimeters for the private and Coillte estate. The larger diameters are generally more suitable for logs. Based on the table below the percentage of the private sector total supply from 7 cm to over 20 cm is approximately 46% for 2023 and 2024.

Table 5: Annual forecast of Net Realisable Volume ( 000 m3 overbark)

It must be noted that the information presented in the forecast is indicative and does not in any way guarantee that this volume will be harvested in any particular year. The forecast is based on a number of assumptions and the actual volume harvested will depend on a wide range of factors. For example in some cases owners may decide not to harvest due to market conditions.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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362. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will upgrade the systems in the forest service of his Department to enable the accurate aggregated calculation of licensed volume available per year as per the detail submitted on each TFL application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16015/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Each private forestry felling licence application is recorded on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Forestry application portal and is also available to view on the Forestry Licence Viewer since 2021.

The information recorded includes the proposed area and species type. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine publishes a weekly dashboard, available on the Department's website here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/859b1-2023-forestry-weekly-dashboard/which shows the area licenced that week, and, the estimated area felled, in terms of hectares and volume m3, for each month.

Statistics on forestry generally are available on the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine’s website here: www.gov.ie/en/collection/15b56-forest-statistics-and-mapping/#annual-forest-sector-statisticsThis includes the Forest Statistics Annual Report 2022, Forestry Division’s Monthly reports, and weekly dashboards. Finally, updates on the Forestry Licencing Plan 2022 can be found on the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine’s website here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/21b71-forestry-licence-plan-2022/