New Forestry Act to focus on appeal system
Minister says the development of a new forestry programme is a key element of the Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020. File Photo.
New legislation on forestry has been signed into law to tackle the backlog of appeals
The Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 will provide a legal basis for the Forestry Appeals Committee to introduce procedures that allow for the better management of the volume of appeals in the system.
Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett also confirmed that the secondary legislation required to give effect to the main provisions of the Act came into force on Wednesday.
“These new arrangements will put in place an improved licencing and appeal system which will be more fit for purpose and better serve all stakeholders,” added the Minister.
“I am moving quickly now to further resource the Forestry Appeals Committee so that it can deal with the backlog of appeals, which will bring certainty to those awaiting the outcome of those appeals.’’ Meanwhile, fees are being introduced for forestry applications, submissions and appeals.
In addition, a forestry portal, with all application and site details available in a single website, will soon be opened to ensure more visible and transparent access to the forestry licensing process.
The Department is also addressing the backlog in processing licences - a project management plan is in place to deal in a systematic way with increasing the number of licences issued.
“While these are all essential actions, our focus now is on implementation to ensure that the priority attached by Government to forestry can be delivered,” Minister Hackett continued.
“The development of the new Forestry Programme is a key element of this and I look forward to working with all stakeholders to build a new model for forestry in Ireland which will deliver for everyone.
“My aim is to ensure that the new Programme is compatible with policy across all sectors and in particular with our commitments under the Climate Action Plan.”
