Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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796. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will meet with a sectoral group (details suppled) to discuss the incoming forestry programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4702/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy may be aware that last year, my Department published for the first time a  Shared National Vision for Trees, Woods and Forests in Ireland until 2050 which was informed by a series of extensive engagement and consultation. One particular strand of the consultation included bilateral meetings with key Forestry stakeholders. This was in addition to other strands such as a public attitudes survey, a community engagement survey and a youth dialogue forum. This Vision then informed a new draft Forestry Strategy for Ireland, which was developed via Working Group 2 of Project Woodland. 

In consideration of this, a draft Forest Strategy Implementation Plan was also developed to facilitate the initial steps in the implementation of the Forest Strategy. This Plan includes the Forestry Programme for the period 2023-2027, which will be the main implementation vehicle for the Forest Strategy in the immediate to short term. This Forestry Programme is designed to provide lasting benefits for many key areas such as climate change, biodiversity, wood production and employment alongside enhancing societal benefits.

Four bilateral meetings took place with members of the Forestry Policy Group (FPG) and details of the Programme development were presented to all members of the FPG in June 2022. I am content that the FPG is fully representative of all relevant stakeholders from across the forestry sector.

The Forestry Programme is also currently subject to an ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment/Appropriate Assessment (SEA/AA) process. As part of this process, the draft Forest Strategy Implementation plan, containing the Forestry Programme was published on the 18 October 2022 for a six-week period of public and stakeholder consultation. My Department is currently analysing and integrating feedback from more than 150 submissions on the Forest Strategy Implementation Plan.

In addition, my Department has recently already held a number of bilateral meetings with established organisations from the forestry and farming sectors, to update them on the ongoing work to secure State Aid approval for the incoming Forestry programme.  

Therefore, I am satisfied that members of all relevant stakeholder groups have already contributed to the important work of Project Woodland and  to the development of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 and are consulted on a regular basis.