Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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942. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how many forestry felling licences were issued in 45 days or less from applications received from 1 January 2025 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24334/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department has issued 11 felling licences, in 45 days or less, from applications received since 1st January 2025 .

As per the Farmers Charter, felling licences should be processed within 6 months or 26 weeks for screened-out applications (those not subject to Appropriate Assessment) and within 9 months or 39 weeks for screened-in applications (those subject to Appropriate Assessment). All application applications must undergo a public consultation process which takes four weeks.

My Department has been meeting the timelines set out in the Farmers Charter, and strives to process licence applications more quickly where possible, with a majority of felling applications now being cleared within six months.