Oireachtas to grill civil servants over ‘dismal’ rate of forestry licence processing

There was an average of just 46 forestry licences issued per week during the month of July, and an average of 44 a week during August

The department’s forestry licence section has given permission for just 2,839 hectares of new tree planting up to the end of last month, meaning that the state is set to again miss its target of 8,000 hectares of new woodland planting this year