Forestry Sector

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 t…

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 ma…

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]

793. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures in place to ensure that the Department’s public land afforestation initiative involving 33 public bodies and 338 hectares does not result in the loss of productive agricultural land or compete directly with the needs of active farmers for grazing or tillage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […

794. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the consultation process that will be followed for the development of the next Forestry Programme post-2027; the steps being taken to ensure that the views of the farming sector are given priority over corporate or investment interests in shaping future afforestation targets and incentives; and if he will make a statem…

795. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that the national target of increasing forest cover to 18% by 2050 will not come at the expense of Ireland’s food production capacity or the viability of family farms; the current balance between afforestation and active agricultural land use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36934/26]

89. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is considering any emergency measures to significantly increase plantation of forests to achieve his own forestation targets and to expand plantation of native trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35626/26]

99. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the impact of Sitka spruce plantations on biodiversity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35799/26]

102. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department officially endorses a publication (detailed supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35758/26]

103. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is considering any restrictions on commercial forests to plant diverse species and introduce selective tree-felling to maintain forests rather than to allow them to be fully cleared; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35627/26]

107. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of afforestation, felling and road licences issued in Cork in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; the current average processing time for such licences; the number of applications awaiting decision in County Cork; the steps being taken to address delays impacting landowners; and if he will make a statement …

111. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the implementation of Ireland's National Forestry Strategy 2023 to 2030. [35408/26]

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]