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. [36932/26]
Topics / Forestry Sector
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsForestry 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
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 9 |
| February 2025 | 14 |
| March 2025 | 12 |
| April 2025 | 13 |
| May 2025 | 27 |
| June 2025 | 2 |
| July 2025 | 23 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 6 |
| October 2025 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 16 |
| December 2025 | 10 |
| January 2026 | 10 |
| February 2026 | 2 |
| March 2026 | 57 |
| April 2026 | 16 |
| May 2026 | 39 |
| June 2026 | 23 |
| July 2026 | 1 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 30 |
| October 2026 | 5 |
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.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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54
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37
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29
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24
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19
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17
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16
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13
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
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 statement on the matter. […
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 on the matter. [3469…
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]
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]
703. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the publication of a children’s book regarding Sitka spruce, a non-native species grown primarily for commercial purposes in Ireland and which is the subject of serious environmental and biodiversity concerns, which was issued to primary schools across the country and contained a forward by a former Junior Minister at his De…
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]
717. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether the revised Shareholder Letter of Expectation to Coillte will include specific and measurable biodiversity performance targets; if so, the targets proposed; and the enforcement or oversight mechanisms that will apply. [32672/26]
718. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how conflicts between Coillte's commercial forestry operations and national biodiversity objectives are formally assessed within its governance framework; and whether any formal decision-making or escalation process exists. [32673/26]
719. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total area of Sitka spruce within the State forestry estate; the proportion of this area classified as monoculture or near-monoculture planting; and if he will provide a breakdown by year for the past ten years. [32674/26]
720. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any policy targets are in place to reduce reliance on single-species conifer systems within State forestry; if so, the baseline percentage, current percentage, and target timeline; and if not, whether such targets are under consideration. [32675/26]
388. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the area of Sitka spruce planted compared to the broadleaves and native conifers planted by area each year, including the 20% broadleaves within the Sitka spruce plantations, since 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31717/26]
389. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and area of monoculture Sitka spruce forests his Department has grant aided, by year since 1993, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31719/26]