756. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a specific assessment, review, risk analysis or research has been undertaken since 2020 regarding the economic, biodiversity, climate resilience, storm resilience or forest health risks associated with the concentration of Sitka spruce within the State forestry estate; and if he will provide the title, date and author of each such asse…
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
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Showing questions asked by Ken O'Flynn under the heading Forestry Sector.
37 questions match, newest first.
757. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proportion of the State forestry estate comprised of Sitka spruce in each of the years from 2020 to 2025, in tabular form; the projected proportion in 2030, 2040 and 2050 under current forestry plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45880/26]
758. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any scenario modelling, stress testing or contingency planning has been undertaken regarding the potential impact of a major pest outbreak, disease event, storm event or climate-related disruption affecting Sitka spruce within the State forestry estate; whether the economic, timber supply, biodiversity and carbon sequestration imp…
759. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares within the State forestry estate comprised of mixed-species forestry stands, by species composition bands of less than 25%, 25% to 50%, 50% to 75%, and greater than 75% dominance by a single species; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45882/26]
760. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether an assessment has been undertaken of the storm, pest, disease or climate resilience risks associated with the 141,000 hectares of the State forestry estate in which Sitka spruce represents greater than 95% of total tree composition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45883/26]
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]
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]
401. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any binding or enforceable targets have been set by his Department in respect of biodiversity outcomes, native woodland expansion, or land-use change on Coillte-managed lands; and if so, the nature of those targets and any consequences for non-compliance. [33486/26]
403. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the formal oversight mechanisms his Department applies to monitor the performance of Coillte in delivering national forestry policy objectives; and whether such oversight includes regular reporting, performance metrics, or compliance assessments. [33488/26]
405. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department has set specific targets for increasing the proportion of native tree species within the Coillte estate; and the timeline and policy instruments in place to achieve any such targets. [33490/26]
406. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a list of the public bodies participating in the Planting on Public Lands initiative; the total hectares identified for afforestation under this initiative; and the number of hectares planted to date. [33491/26]
407. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the updated Shareholder Letter of Expectation for Coillte will be finalised; whether it will include specific, measurable environmental and biodiversity performance indicators; and if it will be published. [33492/26]
408. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department has conducted any formal assessment of the potential conflict between Coillte's commercial mandate under the Forestry Act 1988 and its expanding role in delivering climate and biodiversity objectives; and if so, to provide details of that assessment. [33493/26]
714. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether a national dataset exists measuring biodiversity outcomes within State-owned forestry, including metrics such as species richness, habitat condition, or conservation status; and if not, whether he will commit to establishing such a dataset. [32669/26]
715. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the most recent year in which a comprehensive national ecological assessment of biodiversity within plantation forestry was conducted; whether an updated study equivalent to the BIOFOREST project has been commissioned or is planned; and if he will provide a timeline. [32670/26]
716. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what proportion of State-owned forestry lands currently meet defined favourable conservation status criteria; the methodology used to determine this; and the most recent assessment date. [32671/26]