Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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270. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 194 of 16 May 2024, the progress made to date in implementing the actions, committed to in the Strategic Action Plan for the Renewal of the National Parks and Wildlife Service 2022-2024, relating to the establishment of a structured stakeholder forum, and first meeting of forum held which was due to be implemented by September 2022; the membership and terms of reference of the forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23643/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Reflect and Renew - A review of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), recommended that external communications by the NPWS should be professionalised and should prioritise a more open and collaborative engagement with civil society groups and others. NPWS is constantly working to improve all aspects of its communication including with external stakeholders. There are a number of actions in the Strategic Action Plan to deliver on the recommendation including the establishment of a structured stakeholder forum.

An initial meeting was held in June 2023 with a number of environmental NGOs, including the Irish Environmental Network, an umbrella network that represents over 35 eNGOs, and a number of bilateral meetings have been held in the interim. It is hoped to hold another meeting of the group at a mutually convenient time to further develop a stakeholder forum.

The NPWS also hosts bilateral meetings with many environmental and community stakeholder groups on a wide range of issues both local and national. The NPWS is committed to further strengthening its engagement in line with a commitment in its Strategic Plan 2023-2025 to "enhance engagement with all stakeholders including the scheduling of regular conferences, seminars, workshops and so forth".

In addition, The Biodiversity Forum is an independent group of biodiversity experts that provides independent monitoring of progress in the on-going implementation of the National Biodiversity Plan, highlighting progress and bottlenecks. Membership of the Forum includes representatives from natural heritage and environmental NGOs, industry, Local Authorities, academia and representatives from Northern Ireland.