Written answers
Thursday, 26 October 2023
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Departmental Expenditure
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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240. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost to his Department of outsourced ecology services for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47140/23]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The spend by my Department to date in 2023 for Ecology services provided by outsourced ecologists is €1,615,650.78.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) requires services to be provided in a range of ecology disciplines which may be needed at short notice. Access to contract ecologists in this manner helps avoid any future buildup of forestry applications waiting to be processed.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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241. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the projected cost of outsourced ecology services to his Department for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47141/23]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The total cost of services provided by external ecologists for 2024 will be determined by the number of new applications received under the new Forestry Programme 2023 – 2027. While interest in the afforestation scheme in particular does appear strong it is difficult to provide an accurate cost for ecology service this early on in the Forestry Programme. The recent tender for ‘Ecology services to assist in implementing the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Forestry Programme’ did provide a figure of €9m over four years.
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