Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 1179: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will institute a review of the 1996 strategic plan for the development of the forestry sector in Ireland which reflects the current planting rates and accepts the impossibility of reaching the targets required for critical mass as specified in that plan and in the terms of reference of the review of that plan by a person (details supplied). [29079/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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A review of current policy is underway. A High-Level Strategy Group in my Department is undertaking this review in the light of recent developments affecting the forestry sector. These include the Bacon Review, the situation following the introduction of the Single Farm Payment Scheme and the new Rural Development Regulation. The High-Level Strategy Group will be submitting its findings shortly.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 1180: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will confirm that she revealed the full terms of reference of the Forestry and Margaritifera Group's technical working group for the proposed forestry guidelines in her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 172 of 1 June 2006, and that no agreement was reached with Coillte Teoranta to ensure that the terms of reference included the requirement for the guidelines to be cost efficient. [29080/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Forestry and Margaritifera Group was established to identify and address the potential impacts of forestry operations on the freshwater pearl mussel. It consists of two sub groups (a) the Steering Group and (b) the Technical Working Group.

Parliamentary Question No. 172 of 1st June 2006 sought the terms of reference of the Steering Group. As there were no written terms of reference for the Steering Group I provided main terms of reference of the Technical Working Group which are as follows:

The Technical Working Group on Forestry and Margaritifera is to produce agreed guidance for all relevant forestry operations which could affect Margaritifera populations in the rivers designated SAC for that species. The guidance will apply to all relevant forestry operations within those portions of the catchments of these rivers upstream of the Margaritifera populations.

The terms of reference of the Technical Group also refer the methodology to be adopted, including reviewing existing Forest Service guidelines and Coillte's Environmental Impact Appraisal Procedure. Relevant published scientific data was also to be reviewed. The Technical Group was to report to the Steering Group and furnish guidance on the planning and execution of forest operations that would be effective in conserving Margaritifera, while being cost efficient and implementable. The terms of reference including the reference to cost efficiency were agreed by the Group as a whole.