Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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479. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide the list of external factors under consideration by his Department which need to be considered before the scope and terms of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity can be framed; the timeline between these factors being considered and a date being set for the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51147/21]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The convening of a Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity is under discussion at a senior level between the Department of the Taoiseach and my Department.  The timing and scheduling of the Assembly will depend on the outcome of these discussions and is ultimately a matter for the Department of the Taoiseach, under who aegis Citizen Assemblies are held.

There  are a number of external factors which need to be considered before the scope and terms of the Assembly are framed. 

In this regard, work is currently underway in my Department on putting a consultation in place to ensure the views of stakeholders, such as youth, are included in the process. I consider it crucial that the views of our young people are properly and carefully considered in determining how we approach the biodiversity crisis in the coming years. 

I hope to be in a position to launch the consultation before the end of the year.

My Department will be participating in a number of important international biodiversity meetings taking place in the first half of 2022. These include the second part of CBD COP15 (the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity) which is due to take place from April 25 to 8 May 2022 in China. A new Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) will be agreed at this meeting. This new Framework will underpin global biodiversity policy for the coming decade. 

In the lead up to COP15, my Department will participate in two preparatory meetings. These meetings will take place in Geneva in January, concurrent with a meeting of the Open Ended Working Group on the GBF.