Questions

761. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether Coillte has established a target, objective or projected timeline for reducing the area of the State forestry estate in which a single species represents more than 90% of total tree composition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45884/26]

257. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the financial or other incentives in place to encourage reforestation of land or setting aside land for biodiversity purposes. [44787/26]

264. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the implications of Ireland’s climate and land-use targets for 2030 for farmers and landowners who have already established forestry plantations; whether existing forest owners will have an entitlement to carbon credits or carbon-related income streams arising from the sequestration provided by their forests; and if he will make a stat…

265. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether consideration is being given to introducing ongoing support or income mechanisms for owners of non-commercial forests following the expiry of forestry premium payments; and the proposals under consideration in this regard. [44818/26]

266. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department has examined forestry replanting obligations in other EU Member States; which Member States permit alternative land use following harvesting in certain circumstances; and if he will provide a comparative assessment of Ireland’s replanting requirements. [44819/26]

267. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures which are being taken to ensure forestry is recognised as an integral component of whole-farm planning under the Common Agricultural Policy and future land-use strategies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44820/26]

268. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of forestry owners affected by ash dieback who were deemed ineligible for support under the reconstitution of ash dieback scheme, by county; the reasons for such exclusions; whether a review of eligibility criteria is under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44821/26]

269. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the changes to forestry legislation and associated schemes since 2014 which have affected compensation arrangements for forest disease outbreaks and the treatment of forestry within agricultural support systems; and if he will provide details of those changes. [44822/26]

1468. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of appeals received by the Forestry Appeals Committee in 2024; the number of 2024 appeals processed; the number of 2024 appeals outstanding and awaiting review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41457/26]

467. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for clarity on the forestry setback distances from utility cables; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40928/26]

164. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding scheduled forestry maintenance (details supplied); when the work will be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40741/26]

917. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration is being given to reviewing current afforestation licensing rules in relation to planting distances from overhead electricity infrastructure, in light of concerns regarding the impact of fallen forestry on power lines during storm Éowyn and the importance of maintaining forestry corridors to protect the integrity and res…

918. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether Coillte or the National Forest Inventory maintains stand-level data on the percentage composition of tree species within individual forestry plantations; and if he will provide details of the methodology used to classify plantations by dominant species. [39800/26]

919. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any formal definition exists within Coillte, the National Forest Inventory or his Department for "monoculture forestry" or "near-monoculture forestry"; and if he will provide the applicable thresholds or criteria. [39801/26]

920. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares within the State forestry estate in which Sitka spruce represents greater than 75%, 90% and 95% respectively of total tree composition. [39802/26]

921. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether biodiversity reporting within the National Forest Inventory distinguishes between forests containing incidental secondary species and forests designed as genuinely mixed-species plantation [39803/26]

922. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proportion of annual new planting undertaken by Coillte comprised predominantly Sitka spruce in each year from 2015 to 2026. [39804/26]

923. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any climate resilience or disease-vulnerability assessments have been undertaken regarding the concentration of Sitka spruce within the State forestry estate; and if he will provide details of any such assessments. [39805/26]

924. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any targets exist to reduce reliance on Sitka spruce planting within publicly owned forestry lands over the next decade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39806/26]

925. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether Coillte maintains GIS or digital mapping identifying mixed-species forestry stands within the State forestry estate; and whether such information is publicly accessible. [39807/26]

926. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any independent ecological assessment has been undertaken comparing biodiversity outcomes between predominantly Sitka spruce plantations and mixed-native woodland systems on State-owned forestry lands. [39808/26]

927. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department has assessed the long-term economic, biodiversity and storm-resilience implications of continued reliance on Sitka spruce as the dominant commercial forestry species within the State forestry estate. [39809/26]

788. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of afforestation licence applications and actual plantings approved to date in 2025 and 2026, broken down by genuine farmers and non-farmers/corporate applicants under the new simplified farmer definition; the percentage of approved hectares that have proceeded to planting in each category; and if he will make a statement on th…

790. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current uptake figures and payment details for the €55 million reconstitution scheme for storm damage by storm Darragh and storm Éowyn under the 2023-2027 Forestry Programme; the average grant per hectare paid to farmer applicants to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36929/26]

792. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a detailed breakdown of the €93 million forestry allocation in Budget 2026, including the amounts ring-fenced specifically for farmer premium top-ups, fencing and road grants, agroforestry and reconstitution schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36931/26]