Request for Access to Information on the Environment (AIE): Sept 2024 – EPA meetings with Coillte on “Draft Terms of Reference – Forestry and Water Quality Outcomes Project”

Request:

1. Please provide, by email, information on the dates of all meetings (including both face-to-face and virtual meetings) held in September 2024 between EPA and Coillte. Information to include, inter alia, the dates of  all:

a) Any routine meetings held between EPA with Coillte

b) Any meetings attended by the Minister of State (DAFM) with Coillte and the EPA

2. Please provide, by email, a copy of the agendas and minutes (both handwritten and otherwise) for all September  2024 meetings covered by this AIE request.

3. Please provide by email, all information received by EPA from Coillte in relation to all September 2024 meetings covered by this AIE request, whether received by EPA prior to the scheduled meeting with Coillte or received by EPA during the scheduled meeting with Coillte, or received by EPA after the scheduled meeting.

4. Please provide by email, all information received by Coillte from EPA in relation to all September 2024 meetings covered by this AIE request, whether received by Coillte prior to the scheduled meeting with EPA or received by Coilte during the scheduled meeting with EPA or received by Coillte after the scheduled meeting.

OCEI Decision: LM09-FL0050 Post Licence Issue, KY04-FL0075, Knockauncurragh, Co. Kerry – Licence implementation issues, Monthly Monitoring Records Leitrim February 2024, Monthly Monitoring Records Leitrim December 2023

OCE-148308-J1V2C8

Whether the Department was justified in refusing access to monitoring information that may be in the possession of licensees under article 7(5) of the AIE Regulations on the basis that any relevant information is not held for the Department for the purposes of the AIE Regulations.

Records relating to the process of the development of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the NPWS and Coillte

AIE Request: Coillte’s “Project Prime” [Redacted]

Item 10 from the Informal Introductory Meeting with Coillte held on 9 January 2024

‘Project Prime is priority for early 2024, NewEa are expected to finalise report very soon after which consent from Minister is required.’


Please provide, by email, a copy of all information both (1) received by DAFM and (2) submitted by DAFM to any third parties, relating to /connected with (either in whole or in part) Coillte’s project entitled Project Prime

Coillte & DAFM Meetings June 2024

AIE/2024/0131

Draft AGENDA, DAFM & Coillte, Felling Licencing Working Group
Monday, 10th June, 2024

Agenda for DAFM Coillte Governance Meeting June 2024 (redacted)

Presentation for Coillte DAFM Governance Meeting (redacted)

AIE 24 503

DAFM will draft a new SLOE (Shareholder letter of expectation), with assistance from NewEra, in 2024

AIE 24 491

Briefing Note for Secretary General
Meeting with Coillte Chair Vivienne Jupp and CEO Imelda Hurley
12th June 2024 at 4.30p.m. in Agriculture House

Redacted

Afforestation:
Coillte submitted 4 afforestation licence applications for an area of 31ha in 2023. Approval was issued for 62ha of afforestation to Coillte in 2023

Coillte concerns related to felling licences:

  1. Setbacks from water bodies

2. Badger habitats

3. Hen Harrier

4. Setbacks for using pesticides

Coillte forest roads

In 2023, Coillte submitted licence applications for 423 (156km) forest roads. 218 roads for a combined length of 79km were approved during the year

AIE Request: any records related to the construction, reopening, upgrade or maintenance of forest roads, recreation trails or other temporary/permanent roads/trails and their related drainage operations, and surfacing, to and adjacent to sea trout spawning pools on the Vartry River in Devils Glen, Wicklow

AIE-024-038-IFI | Decision

Under the AIEs Regs to request any records related to the construction, reopening, upgrade or
maintenance of forest roads, recreation trails or other temporary/permanent roads/trails and their related
drainage operations, and surfacing, to and adjacent to sea trout spawning pools on the Vartry River in
Devils Glen, Wicklow.

Please consider all communications between IFI and the following:
– Coillte, Coillte Nature, NPWS, LAWPRO, DAFM Forest Service, Wicklow CoCo, Any community groups,
angling clubs or others in relation to any public consultations related road/trail development.
– Please include any AAs, screenings or other related records that specifically cover road/trail development to and adjacent to sea trout pools.
– Please consider records for the year 2022-2024, as any pre-screening reports obviously pre-date the current works on the river bank.

Trail development, Vartry River, Devils Glen, Wicklow

Notes;

Trail construction and associated drainage, alongside a cherry laurel removal project should have required screening for Appropriate Assessment ? where is that screening?

If AA is required (hydrological connectivity to Natura 2000 sites (Murrough Wetlands SAC and SPA)) then there should have been a public consultation conducted on the AA

Reported to DAFM FS and IFI (as trail construction has no effective buffer and drainage is into sea trout pools on Vartry River). DAFM remit is only forest roads, so have no jurisdiction over trail development

Assessment under Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive ?

Environmental Liabilities Directive case ?

If road/trail construction along sea trout pools is unlicensed, what remedies are available to remediate the damage?

Area map

Galway CoCo refusal of planning permission for felling 343Ha conifer plantation for the purposes of peatland restoration

Full Planning File: https://www.galway.ie/ViewExternalDocuments/?RefNo=2360

Submission from Peter Sweetman

Planners Report

Hydro-Environmental Services Report

MKO Report

Water Monitoring

Fire management

Sheep / deer management

Rhodo

Fehily Timoney Report

Peat stability issues