Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Given that reference has been made to the United Nations and the need to be in line with its priorities, I am sure the Minister of State will accept the amendment because that is what we are trying to do. The Rio de Janeiro summit in 1992 was a turning point in environmental politics by asserting the vital importance of the environment in general. The forest principles were the most comprehensive statement on the need to protect and develop a sustainable forestry model for the future of humanity, societies and indigenous cultures all over the world. They spelled out at every level the manifold importance of forestry and forest culture, what was sustainable forest management and what its priorities should be. It is logical that this be set out in the definitions section. If we are committed to sustainable forest management, we should work with the definitions set out at the Rio summit, which are comprehensive. They cover all bases, including economic, social, environmental, cultural, heritage and climate change imperatives, the need to balance them to inform our forestry policy, and forest management. I cannot see an argument against the amendments.

The definitions, as drafted, touch on these issues. My amendment lifts the wording from principle 2B of the Rio forest principles and should be included. All of the amendments relate to the issue of sustainable forest management which needs to be provided for in the definitions section. That speaks for itself, although sustainable forest management is not always what we have done. However, I acknowledge we are all committed to it. That needs to be set out and defined.