Topics / Forestry Sector

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Forestry Sector

319 questions from 48 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 21 October 2026.

319
questions
317 written, 2 oral
48
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
3
departments asked

Questions per month

The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.

Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
MonthQuestions
January 20259
February 202514
March 202512
April 202513
May 202527
June 20252
July 202523
August 20250
September 20256
October 20254
November 202516
December 202510
January 202610
February 20262
March 202657
April 202616
May 202639
June 202623
July 20261
August 20260
September 202630
October 20265

Who asks, by party

The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.

  • Aontú29 from 1 TD · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil52 from 11 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael31 from 10 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party2 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent22 from 5 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland56 from 2 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party5 from 3 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity59 from 2 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin55 from 10 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 54
  2. 37
  3. 29
  4. 24
  5. 19
  6. 17
  7. 16
  8. 13

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Martin Kenny Written 22 Sep 2026 · to Agriculture
459. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the key changes he will propose for the next forestry programme to improve current planting levels. [66433/26]
Martin Kenny Written 22 Sep 2026 · to Agriculture
460. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of afforestation hectares submitted to his Department each year from 2010 to 2025 and to date in 2026; and the actual hectares planted each year. [66429/26]
Paul Murphy Written 22 Sep 2026 · to Agriculture
462. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the governance arrangements that are in place to ensure that persons who report alleged illegal forestry, and persons affected by such investigations, have access to the procedures governing the receipt, assessment, investigation and determination of Alleged Illegal Forestry (AIF) cases; whether the Alleged Illegal Forestry Section operat…
Michael Fitzmaurice Written 22 Sep 2026 · to Agriculture
464. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the gross profit margin before interest and tax used in calculating the afforestation grant rate for the forestry programme 2023 to 2027. [66618/26]
Michael Fitzmaurice Written 22 Sep 2026 · to Agriculture
465. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the charge rate for approved foresters per day used in calculating the afforestation grant rate for the forestry programme 2023 to 2027. [66616/26]
Michael Fitzmaurice Written 22 Sep 2026 · to Agriculture
466. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breakdown of the fixed overheads used in calculating the afforestation grant rate for the Forestry Programme 2023 to 2027. [66615/26]
Michael Fitzmaurice Written 22 Sep 2026 · to Agriculture
467. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine In the COFORD report of 2022 , Economic Activity and employment levels in the Irish Forest Sector; what did the report state average labour cost would need to increase by if contractors were not to be lost to the construction or other sectors. [66613/26]
Michael Fitzmaurice Written 22 Sep 2026 · to Agriculture
468. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine In the COFORD report of 2022 , Economic Activity and employment levels in the Irish Forest Sector, for afforestation, the forester and office inputs in days, per hectare planted. [66612/26]
Donna McGettigan Written 16 Sep 2026 · to Agriculture
982. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to ensure road repair budgets are provided by the Department of Transport when issuing felling licences under the Single Consent System in County Clare and throughout the State so that roads damaged in felling and transportation operations can be promptly repaired. [64829/26]
Paul Murphy Written 16 Sep 2026 · to Agriculture
998. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the governance arrangements are in place to ensure that appellants before the Forestry Appeals Committee have access to the procedures governing the conduct of their appeals, particularly while the FAC’s published Procedures are stated to be “currently being updated". [65461/26]
Brendan Smith Written 9 Jul 2026 · to Agriculture
37. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress to date in reviewing forestry setbacks and corridors in relation to the safeguarding of the electricity and energy networks, the timeline for the publication and implementation of new regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52187/26]
Michael Healy-Rae Written 30 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
654. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason work on a forestry boundary (details supplied) has not been carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49259/26]
Noel McCarthy Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
426. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current situation with respect to the maintenance of roadways which provide access to forestry as well as to private dwellings; who maintains responsibility for the resurfacing of such roads; if such roads can be upgraded to a public road standard for public vehicle use or must they remain as a forest road suitable for forestry oper…
Brendan Smith Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
428. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 326 of 10 April 2025, and the commitments made to review forestry setbacks and corridors in relation to the safeguarding of the electrical network, the reason replanting of forestry is being allowed at present, that will clearly not conform with the new regulations and also taking into account that …
Liam Quaide Written 17 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
151. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide details of all felling licence applications, approvals or active licences relating to Curragh Wood, Midleton, County Cork, from 2024 to date in 2026; to include the licence reference number, applicant, date of application, date of decision, area covered, proposed felling type, species composition, replanting plan, licence condi…
Liam Quaide Written 17 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
152. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the ecological, hydrological, appropriate assessment or EIA screening that was carried out in respect of proposed felling at Curragh Wood, Midleton, County Cork; the consideration that was given to the river Leamlara, mixed woodland habitat, protected species, recreational use and long-established woodland characteristics; and if he will …
Liam Quaide Written 17 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
153. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department will arrange an inspection or review of any proposed felling operations at Curragh Wood, Midleton, County Cork, before works commence, in view of local concerns about biodiversity, water quality, public amenity and the recreational value of the woodland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46234/26]
Liam Quaide Written 17 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
154. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether alternatives to clear-felling, including selective thinning, continuous-cover forestry, phased felling, retention of mixed/native woodland and enhanced riparian buffers, were assessed in respect of any felling licence at Curragh Wood, Midleton, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46235/26]
Martin Kenny Written 16 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
728. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a breakdown of the number of applicants who are in receipt of forestry payments; the number who receive an annual payment under €5,000; the number who receive a payment between €5,000 and €10,000; the number who receive a payment between €10,000 and €20,000; the number who receive a payment between €20,000 and €50,000; and the number…
Martin Kenny Written 16 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
729. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total annual spend in forestry payments to farmers for the years 2021-2025. [45133/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 16 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
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…
Ken O'Flynn Written 16 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
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]
Ken O'Flynn Written 16 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
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…
Ken O'Flynn Written 16 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
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]
Ken O'Flynn Written 16 Jun 2026 · to Agriculture
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]