10 Feabh 2014, 14:19
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will tomorrow resume its discussions on the Forestry Bill 2013, in advance of Committee Stage consideration of the Bill at the end of the month.
10 February 2014
Officials from the Society of Irish Foresters, a representative body for those in the forestry profession, will address the Committee.
Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD says: “With the Forestry Bill scheduled for Committee stage debate shortly, the Committee is undertaking a series of hearings with key stakeholders on how this important legislation can be optimised for the benefit of both stakeholders and the wider public. In recent weeks the Committee has met with the Irish Timber Council, the Irish Forestry and Forest Products Association, the Environmental Pillar, the Irish Farmers' Association and Irish Timber Growers' Association. The meeting tomorrow with the Society of Irish Foresters will further inform the Committee’s consideration of a Bill which seeks to ensure our forests are sustainably developed into the future.
\"The hearings so far have underlined the need for the legislation in to instill confidence in the industry. The Committee was advised that farmers and foresters needed assurance that the conditions that underpin a return on their long term investment would remain consistent. With widespread consensus on the need for healthy afforestation rates to ensure an optimum balance of land use in Ireland, the Committee is intent on charting a pragmatic course on all the issues raised during its detailed consideration of the Bill.”
Separately, the Committee will scrutinise the following EU legislative proposals:
- COM (2013) 819: Proposal for establishing a list of non-cooperating third countries to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
- COM (2013) 889: Proposal amending an series of EU directives related to the landing obligation
- COM (2013) 892: Proposal for a directive related to the cloning of animals of the bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine and equine species kept and reproduced for farming purposes
The meeting takes place tomorrow Tuesday 11 February at 3 pm in Committee Room 3, LH 2000. The meeting will commence with scrutiny of the EU proposals in private session. Decisions on the proposals will be taken in public session and will be followed by engagement on the Forestry Bill. Public proceedings can be viewed online here.
View Committee Membership.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +353 1 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926