Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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641. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 152 of 11 December 2013 where he stated he will not publish the Coillte forestry review, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Coillte is the largest forestry operator here operating under the 1988 Forestry Act and therefore is fundamentally connected to the new Forestry Bill 2013; the way the new Forestry Bill 2013 will achieve sustainable forest management if older acts such as the Forestry Act 1988, from which Coillte emanated are not reviewed and reformed and since the principles of sustainable forest management stem from the Rio Earth summit in 1992; and in the case that the 1988 Forestry Act predates this agreement the reason it is primarily focused on primacy of profit and timber production; the way it will be able to deliver the multiple benefits of sustainable forest management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55461/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the Forestry Bill 2013 is to reform and update the legislative framework relating to forestry in order to support the development of a modern forestry sector. The provisions of the Forestry Bill 2013, when enacted, will encompass, and apply to, the entire forestry industry, within which Coillte operates. As you will be aware, the purpose of the Forestry Act 1988 was to provide for the establishment and administration of Coillte. This new Forestry Bill, I believe, will enable forestry development in Ireland to be undertaken in line with the principles of Sustainable Forest Management by achieving an appropriate balance between facilitating the growth and sustainability of the industry whilst at the same time having regard to protection of the environment and maintenance of the social benefits and other public goods that forests provide.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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642. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in relation to the new national forestry programme Forest, Products and People and the EU requirement for a strategic environmental assessment to be conducted on same, his views that the recent SEA which was completed by his Department on the recent forestry review report is complete; if the review of Coillte report is not made available when it was carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55462/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An in-depth review of state forestry policy was undertaken on foot of a commitment in the previous Government’s Renewed Programme for Government . A Forest Policy Review Group, comprising of representatives of the forest and environment sectors, was formed in April 2010, to undertake this work. A separate review of Coillte was also undertaken. While significant work was undertaken by an interdepartmental group dealing exclusively with the role, functions and operations of Coillte, the deliberations were superseded by the Government Decisions in 2012 in relation to the sale of state assets which encompasses Coillte, and, as I have advised previously, it is not my intention to publish the outcome of that review.

In April 2012, following 15 meetings of the Forest Policy Review Group and having taken account of submissions received from a range of stakeholders, the output was an initial draft outline of the review of State forest policy entitled Forests, Products and People- Ireland’s Forest Policy- a renewed vision .

A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of the initial draft Forest Policy Review then commenced in early 2013. This process is now nearing completion. The SEA process has involved initial consultation with the designated statutory environmental authorities, full scoping consultation, preparation of a scoping report, preparation of a draft environmental report, further full consultation with the designated environmental authorities and the general public, consideration and evaluation of submissions received, amendments to the draft Forest Policy Review and also to the draft environmental report to take account of submissions received. The SEA process will conclude when the Forest Policy Review is formally adopted and this will be followed by the publication of an SEA statement.

I am satisfied that the steps outlined above, will, when complete, fulfil the requirements of the SEA Directive in the context of the strategic environmental assessment of Forests, Products and People- Ireland’s Forest Policy- a renewed vision .