Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 November 2004
64 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will report on the progress on the development of an audit protocol which will facilitate sustainable forest management and certification of compliance with existing forest service guidelines and standards; the number of times the committee charged with this work has met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29377/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI welcome the effort being made by the forestry sector to develop a protocol to facilitate sustainable forest management, with the related compliance certification. A committee comprised of stakeholders representing the economic, social and environmental pillars involved in sustainable forest management, took on this task at the end of 2003. While my Department is not actually represented on this committee, it is facilitating the process by providing secretarial support.
The committee agreed that it would be useful to contract out some of the work. The Department undertook to facilitate this and, following a full tender process, selected a firm of consultants to prepare a first draft of the protocol, based on best international practice. Work on drafting the protocol is underway at present and the Department would expect the protocol to be completed in 2005.
