Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has published a Forestry Licensing Plan which outlines our strong commitment to issuing licences in 2024 and we have put additional resources in place to achieve our targets. Afforestation applications would need to be around 1,000 applications per year to achieve 8,000 hectares. However, the number of licences issued ultimately depends on the number of applications received. My Department has capacity to issue sufficient licences in 2024 to plant 8,000 hectares.

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

However, in recognition of the need for forestry activity to continue and pending the launch of the new Programme my Department introduced an Interim Afforestation Scheme. 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. Furthermore, those with licences under the old Programme, who did not opt for De Minimis, have the opportunity to opt into the new Afforestation Scheme. To date there have been 201 afforestation applicants, representing 1,635ha, that have availed of this option.

It is also worth noting that there is 2,757ha in total, currently available for planting under Afforestation Schemes. This is made up of approvals issued to new applicants since the Programme opened and those who applied or were approved under the old Programme, who have now opted-in to the new Programme.

I recognise that planting at the scale required is a challenge but believe that it is in all our interests to work towards this target. Afforestation is a voluntary land use choice for landowners and building confidence among landowners of the benefits of forestry will be key to increasing afforestation rates on recent low trends. 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.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The number of private felling licences received since the beginning of 2024 at 239 is similar as received for the same period last year at 261. As regards Coillte we expect to receive a new batch of 800 applications in the coming weeks, which is similar to the batch of 750 we received in April of last year. So there has been no drop in the number of applications being received.

As regards output to date this year we have issued 305 private licences, well ahead of applications receive, and 2019 Coillte felling licences, a total of 524 licences. It is the case that we issued more licences in the same period last year a total of 845 licences, made up of 423 private and 422 Coillte. This may be attributed to our strong focus at the beginning of last year on clearing the 1,500 licences on hand for more than 120 days. We have reduced the number on hand to 768 and continue to progressively work through them.

My Department has published a Forestry Licencing Plan which outlines my strong commitment to issuing licences in 2024.