David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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454. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps his Department can take to expediate afforestation applications that are currently being appealed, in most cases, these appeals are taking approximately three to four years to be resolved. [40370/25]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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The Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) was established in 2018, under the Agriculture Appeals Act, 2001 as amended, to deal with appeals against decisions of this Department in relation to forestry licences.

At present, the majority of licences appealed are set aside and remitted to the Department. Appeals can be made on any number of grounds and have become more complex since the foundation of the FAC.

My Department is working actively to improve the time it takes to process cases by the FAC. It has also changed how it processes licences to take account of FAC decisions including making changes to the wording of licence conditions and how it explains the reasoning of those conditions, so as to help improve the process.

Further, Minister Healy-Rae has also written to the FAC requesting that plots affected by storm damage be prioritised.

I expect that these initiatives will begin to allow the FAC to expedite the affirmation of more Department decisions on licences.