Mayo councillors demand more say on forestry licence applications

Mayo councillors have expressed frustration that Mayo County Council have no say in the planning process for the planting of new forests around the county.

The monthly meeting of Mayo County Council heard that while the local authority may make submissions on new applications for forestry, but the Department of Agriculture have the final say on the granting of the licence to plant the trees.

The matter was raised at the meeting by Fine Gael councillor Jarlath Munnelly who submitted a notice of motion calling on the planning section to clarify the protocols regarding making a submission or commentary on forestry applications.

The Killala-based councillor expressed concern at the number of large forests that are being planted and claimed this is aided by government policy 'which is about planting forestry anywhere they can'.

“The people who sign off on forestry are the Department [of Agriculture] and this must be the only example where people whose agenda is to increase the number of trees are also the agency responsible for deciding whether or not trees are planted in an area.

“In proposing this motion I want to know what is going to be done about this. I would like to see new forestry applications getting scrutiny from the planning section. Every application needs to have comments made by Mayo County Council and it is not good enough that forestry applications are decided by the department of forestry and Mayo County Council do not make any comment,” he told the meeting.

Last year, the community of Craggagh near Balla fought a campaign opposing plans for a French company Woodland Invest to plant 15 hectares of additional forestry close to homes and amenities. During the campaign it emerged that Mayo County Council has no role in the issuing of licences for forestation and the Department of Agriculture has the final say.

This was confirmed at Monday's meeting by Director of Services, Catherine McConnell who said that while the council do carry out assessments and make observations into any application, forestries are excepted development and 'beyond our remit'. She added that the council does not have to receive a reply to any submission made.

Independent councillor Patsy O'Brien said that this was another example of a 'two-tier system' in operation in the country where multi-nationals do not have the same planning restrictions as ordinary people.

“The Government is not meeting targets for forestry so the easy thing is to eliminate any process and fast track it. They have done it by sending the application straight to the department and leaving out the local authority.

“We have people on a two tier system in this county. A man and his family will have to go through the planning process while a multi-nationals can come in here and apply without going through the local authority. It is absolutely disgraceful...it is wrong and should be stopped,” he said.

Fellow Independent Michael Kilcoyne added that a number of power cuts are caused by electricity lines being felled by trees in forests and felt the council should have a say in all applications.

Fine Gael councillor Ger Deere backed his party colleague saying that it beggars belief that the council have no say on plantations which he says are destroying communities. He added that local roads are often destroyed during the cultivation process and it is often left to the council to foot the expense of fixing them.