Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine with responsibility for Forestry, Andrew Doyle T.D, was today presented with a collection of COFORD reports on a wide range of forestry issues. These reports were completed by the COFORD Council which is a stakeholder-led advisory body to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on matters related to forestry
The six reports presented to the Minister today mark the output of six different COFORD working groups and are:
- Forests, products
and people – Ireland’s forest policy 2014- A Report on Policy Implementation with Recommendations 2018
- Forest Land Availability Implementation Group
- Implementation Group Report
- Wood Supply and Demand on the Island of Ireland to 2025
- Mobilising Irelands Forest Resource- Meeting the Challenges
- Longer Term Forest Research
- Species Mixtures in Irish Forests – A Review
Speaking at the launch in Dublin Minister Doyle said: These reports demonstrate the importance of stakeholder collaboration and the COFORD Council provides an ideal platform to discuss a range of issues and provide advice to my Department on matters related to forestry. These are wide-ranging reports from land-use to forestry research which will help to inform Government policy going forward. The progress report on the implementation of Ireland’s forest policy outlines that significant progress has been achieved in a number of policy areas. However I am conscious that more needs to be done and I will continue to look at areas identified where more progress is required.
The Minister also announced that he would be appointing a new Council for another three-year term which will run from 2019 to 2021. The Minister thanked the outgoing Chairman Michael Lynn, for his dedication and stewardship over the last 11 years and also announced that Dr Eugene Hendrick will be the Council’s new Chairman with effect from 1 January 2019.
The Minister commented that “Michael Lynn’s drive and commitment is clearly evident in the legacy of publications that have been produced during his stewardship. Michael’s professionalism and ability to get others to work collectively has ensured that each of the Councils he has chaired has delivered on its key objectives to advance the development of the forest sector. I am very pleased that Dr. Eugene Hendrick has agreed to become the new Chairperson. Eugene has had a long association with COFORD and will bring vast experience to the role and I look forward to working with him closely in the years ahead.
