Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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103. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a land use strategy is being developed within which aspirations for forestry, for the protection of biodiversity, for climate, for Renewables and for the bioeconomy could be evolved in a coherent manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18544/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government (PfG): 'Our Shared Future' committed to a land use review to ensure that optimal land use options inform all relevant government decisions. This land use review is also outlined in the Climate Action Plan 2021.

The review was designed to be carried out in two distinct phases. Phase 1 was an evidential review and the Phase 1 report, which was published on 10^thMarch 2023, has collated evidence about a wide range of land use issues, including about stakeholders, existing policy and environmental, social and economic characteristics of land use.

Phase 2 of the land use review will build on the outcomes of Phase 1 and will, in consultation with all stakeholders and land users, go on to consider the policies, measures, and actions which will need to be taken — in the context of the Government’s wider economic, social and climate objectives.

Ireland has ambitious plans to increase at scale the area of land under forests. The current forest area is 11.6% and our target is to increase this area to over 18%.

This will require an area of land of approximately 500,000ha. The land Use Review will examine land availability and the wide range of cross cutting demands. Biodiversity, climate, bioeconomy and renewables have the potential to provide opportunities for new and existing forests.

My Department is currently finalising a new Forest Strategy which will focus on five key value areas of climate, nature, wood, people and economic development.

My Department is currently engaging with the European Commission on state aid approval of a €1.3 billion package of measures that will incentivise land owners to plant new forests at scale. Planting new forests must complement out national and EU targets and the outcomes of Phase 2 will be important.

Phase 2 will be jointly led by myself along with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and the Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform.

Currently officials from our respective Departments are engaging on the details of Phase 2, including timelines and specific deliverables.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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104. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will accept certification from foresters accredited with his Department as to the status of an ash plantation for the purposes of removal of dead trees and replanting, or whether he is insisting on certification by his own Department’s officials on the matter. [18552/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Regarding the administration of the ash dieback scheme, such is the prevalence of the disease throughout the country that my Department no longer requires any damage assessment to be carried out. This was clarified to all registered foresters in a Circular to the trade that issued in June last year.

My Department maintains a register of private foresters who are available for work on the Department forestry schemes. My Department requires that those who wish to be on this list of 'registered foresters' provide the Department with evidence of a suitable forestry qualification and professional indemnity insurance, before admittance onto this list. Those foresters on this list are referred to as 'registered foresters'. My Department does not confer an accreditation to these registered foresters.

However, by being a registered forester one is entitled to make an application for a forestry scheme (including the Reconstitution and Underplanting scheme (RUS) - (Ash Dieback scheme)). Like other schemes all applications when received are then subject to an inspection process by a Departmental Forestry Inspector which may include a physical inspection to confirm that the details in the application are correct.