Afforestation Licence (Technical Approval)

What is this licence?

An Afforestation Licence is required for all afforestation projects where the area is greater than 0.10 hectares (about 0.25 acres).

The licence is granted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). The DAFM can only approve a forestry-related application where it deems:

• At screening stage that there is no possibility of an effect on any Natura site
• At appropriate assessment stage that there will be no adverse effect on the integrity of any Natura site

When do I need it?

You may need this during the pre-construction phase of your project.

How to apply

Technical approval

All afforestation projects must get prior written approval from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This is called 'technical approval'. You need to engage with a registered forester to make this application. A list of all registered foresters in Ireland is available on the Teagasc website under 'Obtaining Technical Approval'.

Financial approval

Once you have technical approval, an extra 'financial approval' is required for grant-aided projects. You must get financial approval before work commences.

Fees

Submitting an application

A fee of €20 applies to submit an application.

Consultations

A 30-day consultation period begins when you receive the licence application. Applications are free to view on the DAFM Forestry Licence Viewer. Any member of the public can make a submission within 30 days of publication of the licence application.

A second 30-day consultation period will start when you receive a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) or after an Appropriate Assessment Report is produced by the Department. Relevant documentation will be published on the DAFM Forestry Licence Viewer.

If an NIS is submitted with the initial application, only one public consultation period is required. When the DAFM publish a licence decision, any member of the public can submit an appeal within 14 days to the Forestry Appeals Committee. A fee of €200 for making an appeal applies.

What if my application is rejected?

There is an appeals service for decisions on forestry licence applications made by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).