456. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of meetings held between his Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, and organisations within the forestry sector since June 2026. [66431/26]

Since I was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, farm safety, and horticulture at the end of May this year, I have been busy meeting with organisations across the forestry sector on a weekly basis both bilaterally and by attending various forestry conferences and events.

This includes the quarterly Forest Strategy Consultative Committee (FSCC) meetings which provide a forum for stakeholders from state agencies, industry and environment NGOs to work together to monitor the progress of the plan to ensure a successful outcome and delivery of objectives of our national Forest Strategy. The membership of the FSCC is listed on my Department's website at the following link Forest Strategy Consultative Committee (FSCC) (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/circulars/teacher-recruitment-registration-and-qualifications/)

I am committed to continue engaging with stakeholders across the forestry sector over the coming weeks and months to hear about their experiences, understand their perspectives, and ensure these insights help to inform how we develop and deliver our Forestry Programmes collectively as a sector.