A significantly reduced number of forestry licences approved for July has been linked to the recent introduction of a new regulation under the EU Habitats Directive.
This new regulation will delay an application by up to 30 days where it falls under the directive, to facilitate a public consultation.
It is understood that 80% of licence applications currently in the system are delayed due to this additional layer of regulation.
Speaking this week at the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Minister of State, Pippa Hackett said:
“There is no denying that this does add extra time to the processing of these applications.
“We must now advertise all such cases, and we are currently working our way through them – 536 cases went to public consultation up to July 23, an average of 178 a week.
“The first of these will exit this process on August 6. We have not, to date, received any submissions on cases advertised, but if we do they will need to be taken into account before the file progresses to decision,” she said.
She said that this has affected recent output as certain applications that were ready for decision were interrupted.
But, she said the forestry service within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is committed to making up this ground.
“I expect that by mid-August you will see an increase in the number of licences issued and a return to previous levels. This new requirement means that we will have to re-double our efforts to reach our target of 4,500 licences this year, but I remain hopeful that we can do so,” she said.
Forestry licences – scepticism over 4,500 target
However, members of the committee expressed scepticism over the DAFM’s 4,500 license target by the end of 2021.
Up to July 23, this year, 1,900 forestry licences have been issued, which is 42% of the annual target.
Minister Hackett said that, while this figure should be higher, it was “always the DAFM’s intention to intensify output in the latter half of 2021 on the basis of system improvements and streamlining of procedures”.
But independent TD, Deputy Michael Collins said that there had been an implosion of licence output and asked what miracle will take place that will see 4,500 forestry licences granted by the year’s end?
“Why should anyone on this committee, or anyone in the forestry sector believe you, when you say that the DAFM is going to reach that target this year?” Deputy Collins asked the minister.
“In a parliamentary response I received last week, I was informed that this [the number of licences so far this year] is up 25% on the same time last year. This is a regular line from the DAFM in 2021, but it is a ridiculous defense when you consider the implosion in licence output so far this year.”
He asked the minister and colleagues at the DAFM to stop comparing 2021 to 2020 to “paint a rosy picture” of improvements made on the output of forestry licences.
He said forestry licences granted may be up on last year but are down 191% when compared to 2019, which is the “last comparable year”.
“You have to be honest on this,” he said.
A ‘push on’ Coillte licences?
Independent TD, Michael Fitzmaurice told the minister that he had looked at the number of licences granted in July and that figure stood at about 112.
“Minister, you said at a previous committee meeting that we would hit 100 licences a week – and we did for June – why are we down to 20-30 per week now?
“I have gone through the four weeks in July and we have something like 112 licences. What’s the reason?” he asked.
Minister Hackett repeated that the reason for this delay is due to the introduction of a new 30-day public consultation period by the Department of Planning, Housing and Local Government.
“This is not just for forestry, but is for any planning application that requires an appropriate assessment,” she said.
Deputy Fitzmaurice responded:
“So are you saying that 80% of these applications are going in for screening because of the EU Habitats Directive, or because they are near a site of importance?”
“Yes, that is the case,” Minister Hackett said.
Deputy Fitzmaurice asked the minister if there was a push within the DAFM to grant Coillte applications in a bid to increase the numbers of licences granted, despite the fact that sufficient licences have already been issued to Coillte for 2021.
“You previously stated that Coillte had enough complete licences for 2021, why are we still concentrating on Coillte licences?
“When I am talking to your department internally, I am hearing that Coillte licences are probably more straightforward and the push will be put to get enough Coillte licences out to tick the box and get to 4,500 licences, is that correct, is that the method now?”
But Minster Hackett stated that in June, the highest number of private felling licences – in five years – was issued.
“So far this year, we have issued 633 felling licences for private owners and 593 for Coillte, so, in fact, more private than Coillte currently.”