Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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1275. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a landowner intends to plant an area greater than 0.10 ha and less than 1.00 ha without relying on any form of State aid, the specific circumstances in which an appropriate assessment or environmental study is required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37833/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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If a landowner wishes to afforest an area of greater than 0.10 hectare and not greater than 1 hectare without grant aid, they are required to apply for an afforestation licence.

My Department assesses all afforestation licence applications, i.e. grant-aided and non-grant aided, in the same manner. The updated Environmental Requirements for Afforestation document, which is available on the Department's website, includes the circumstances in which a report is required at the time of application.

In considering all applications for afforestation licences, my Department will screen for appropriate assessment, at which stage the need or otherwise for any further environmental reports would be established. Any reports required at this stage in the application would be requested from the applicant and their Registered Forester via a Request for Further Information.

If the landowner wishes to plant an area greater than 0.10 ha and less than 1.00 ha and would like to apply for grant aid then they may consider the Native Tree Area Scheme, which my Department intends to launch in the coming weeks. Eligibility criteria will be incorporated into the scheme which will ensure that all tree planting works are undertaken in a legally compliant and sustainable manner, without the requirement for an afforestation licence.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1276. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will publish his licensing plan for autumn 2023 and for the full year 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37861/23]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1277. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when his Department will publish its forestry licensing plan for autumn 2023 and for the full year 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37862/23]

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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1280. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he plans to publish his licensing plan for autumn 2023 and for the full year 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37887/23]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1284. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he plans to publish his licensing plan for Autumn 2023 and for the full year 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37923/23]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1334. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he intends to publish his forestry licensing plan for autumn 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39200/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1276, 1277, 1280, 1284 and 1334 together.

My Department has not been in a position to issue grant-aided forest road or afforestation licences this year while we awaited full and final approval of the new Forestry Programme 2023 -2027, including State Aid approval from the European Commission and the conclusion of the Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment processes.

I am pleased to say that the Programme has now been approved by Government, and both the afforestation and forest roads schemes are open to applications. Felling licences continue to issue as normal.

As we are now in a position to issue all licences we will in the near future publish a new Forestry Licensing Plan. This will cover the reminder of 2023 while also indicating plans for 2024.