The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, has today, Friday, September 20, announced the appointment of Des Johnson as chairperson of the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC).
The appointment comes following the retirement of Bart Brady, who was the inaugural chair of the FAC. Johnson’s appointment is effective from Monday, September 22.
Commenting on the appointment, the Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle, said: “I am pleased to welcome Des Johnson as chair of the Forestry Appeals Committee.
Johnson has significant experience dealing with local authority planning appeals in An Bord Pleanála and is ideally placed to take forward the work of the FAC.
“I would like to also take this opportunity to sincerely thank the outgoing chair, Bart Brady, for his dedication and hard work as the first chairperson of the FAC.”
Concluding, Minister Doyle said: “Bart’s work over the last two years has laid the foundations upon which the committee now operates and I wish him well in future endeavours.”
The FAC was established as an independent appeals body, under the Agriculture Appeals Act, 2001, as amended and is based in the Agriculture Appeals Office (AAO), Portlaoise.
The committee hears appeals from applicants or third parties who are dissatisfied with decisions made by the minister on applications for licences for afforestation, tree felling, forest road works and aerial fertilisation.