Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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656. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the new beef sector forum will be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59949/21]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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657. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will give consideration to how food processors and retailers can be more involved in reports carried out by any new beef forum; his views on whether this will provide improved data for future planning within this sector; when the establishment of this forum will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59963/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 656 and 657 together.

I was very pleased to recently publish the report of the Chair of the Beef Taskforce. The report clearly sets out that the group satisfied its remit in monitoring and progressing the implementation of the actions agreed by stakeholders in the beef sector agreement of 15^thSeptember 2019. The TaskForce had a dedicated and diligent independent chair; and I fully accepted his further recommendation that we need ongoing stakeholder engagement on the key strategic issues facing the sector.

Preparations are currently under way to establish this new forum and further details will be announced in due course. I was pleased to receive reports of strong engagement by stakeholders across the supply chain with the work of the Beef Taskforce and I look forward to this constructive engagement continuing in the context of the new forum.

Ensuring there is a long-term, sustainable and viable future for our suckler and beef farmers is a key priority of mine as Minister. This new sectoral forum will take a strategic view of supporting the development of the sector and contribute to our over arching objective of our Food Vision 2030 strategy, that Ireland will become a world leader in sustainable food systems over the next decade.

Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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658. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department is now requiring a habitat map to be prepared by an independent ecologist at the applicant's expense before it will assess afforestation applications; his views on whether this should be completed by a Departmental forestry ecologist at his Department’s expense given that the forestry service has and is taking on additional ecologists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60011/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Circular 08/2021, which issued to Registered Foresters on in June this year, outlined work my Department had carried out in reviewing systems for the preparation of Appropriate Assessment Screening Determinations, Appropriate Assessment Reports and Appropriate Assessment Determinations. These are the ecological assessments of forestry licence applications.

Improvements were made to systems to optimise the time of the ecologists to concentrate on the ecological aspects of each application. Registered foresters were advised of certain documents that would assist with processing applications.

As afforestation represents a land use change, the existing onsite habitats and their possible use by protected species require particular attention.

Registered Foresters were therefore advised that a Pre-Screening Report and associated Habitat & Receiving Environment Map along with an Ecological Report if there is any non-AA ecology related issue, were the appropriate documents for afforestation applications..

These documents are not mandatory, however, where they are presented with an application, that application will be prioritised for ecological assessment by Departmental ecologists who will prepare an ecology report as appropriate.