Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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270. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the weekly number of forestry licences issuing remain so low; if there is an indication that 2024 will mirror the patterns observed in 2023; the reasons behind the continuing slow pace in licencing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2167/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 283 together.

My Department has published a Forestry Licencing Plan which outlines our strong commitment to issuing licences in 2024. We estimate that we will issue 4,200 new licences in 2024, and we believe we now have the capacity to issue sufficient licences to meet the annual target of 8,000 hectares of new forests. This is however contingent on receiving enough applications to achieve this goal. I am confident that the attractive and increased rates under the new Programme, coupled with 20 year premiums for farmers, will encourage strong uptake of afforestation options.

As regards 2023, my Department issued 3,169 forestry licences of all types. This comprised 1,427 private felling licences, 1,411 Coillte felling licences, 243 forest road licences and 88 new afforestation licences. In addition there were 31 approvals for 34 hectares issued under the new Native Tree Area Scheme.

The delay in receiving State Aid approval to the new Forestry Programme meant that we could not issue licences for grant-aided new forests or forest roads until the introduction of the new Forestry Programme on 6th September, 2023 and this explains the lower than expected figures.

However, in recognition of the need for forestry activity to continue and pending the launch of the new Programme my Department introduced Interim Afforesation and Roads Schemes. This allowed those with unused licences under the old Programme to use them by opting into a De Minimis scheme and availing of new and improved rates. In 2023 a total of 288 applications for 1,750 hectares were approved under the Interim Afforestation Scheme, and 159 applications for 70,222 metres were approved under the Interim Roads Scheme.

Furthermore those with licences under the old Programme, who did not opt for De Minimis, now have the opportunity to opt into the new Afforestation and Roads Schemes. 98 such afforestation applications for 845 hectares and 142 such roads applications for 29,742 metres were approved in 2023.

Finally, it is worth noting that 1,599 hectares have been approved for afforestation since the new Scheme opened in September.