Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1158. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the actual expenditure by the Forest Service of his Department from 1 January 2023 to date; if he will detail the corresponding expenditure by the Forest Service of his Department for each of the years of the forestry programme 2014 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16342/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The forestry expenditure for the first quarter in each of the years from 2014 is shown in the table below.

Forestry Expenditure 2014-2023 Quarter 1

To 31^stMarch 2023 there has been a total spend of €42,728,570. The 2023 expenditure represents an increase in spend for support schemes and reduced payments for new planting while we await state aid approval for the new forestry programme.

However, this planting figure does not include any expenditure under the Interim de minimis schemes. The portal to enable the submission of applications for payment opened on Wednesday 29^thMarch and the first payments were processed in the week ending April 6^th. To date a total of 243 applications have been approved under the interim Afforestation scheme (via general de minimis) representing 1,514 hectares. We have received completion notices for 86 of these contracts representing 467 hectares and payment applications for 190 hectares of this were received in the first few days after the opening of the payment portal.

Under the interim roads scheme 60 approvals have issued representing 23,349 metres.

I expect a significant increase in new planting payments and roads expenditure in the second quarter of this year.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1159. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to clarify what percentage of all timber cut in Ireland is being exported for the production of biomass; if he will advise what countries it is exported to for this purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16492/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine licences the felling of roundwood and the markets decide on the ultimate destination of material. The Central Statistics Office collates information on wood exports and imports and the latest figures available for 2021 estimate that 12,029 cubic metres were exported described as "wood fuel". A further 77,732 cubic metres were exported described as "other biomass". There are no figures available for 2022.

The CSO define the "wood fuel" category as wood harvested from the main stems, branches and other parts of trees where these are harvested for fuel and wood that will be used for the production of charcoal, wood pellets and other agglomerates. It also includes wood chips to be used for fuel that were made in the forest from roundwood. It excludes wood charcoal, wood pellets and other agglomerates.

The CSO defines "other biomass" as a combination of the categories for Wood chips, particles and residues and Wood pellets and other agglomerates. It corresponds to the volume of roundwood that is left over after the production of forest products in the wood processing industry. It includes wood chips produced directly from roundwood in chipping mills. It includes wood waste and scrap not useable as timber such as sawmill rejects, slabs, edgings and trimmings, veneer log cores, veneer rejects, sawdust, residues from carpentry and joinery production, and wood residues that will be used for production of pellets, other agglomerated products or used for energy. It excludes wood chips made directly in the forest from roundwood.

The CSO also reports that the total harvest of wood removals in Ireland in 2021 amounted to 4.33 million cubic metres. Therefore based on the size of the total harvested production from Irish forest the percentage exported for biomass and wood fuel is relatively small at around approximately two percent. The CSO do not report on the country of destination in their forest removal surveys but exports are mainly to the United Kingdom.