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

I will agree to disagree with the Minister of State on this matter. The Rio declaration may not be binding legally, but we signed up to it. I see no reason not to commit to its wording in a Bill that is supposedly setting out to develop forestry on a sustainable basis. Nothing the Minister of State has mentioned tells me why the proposed wording, which was taken from the Rio forest principles, is difficult for us to accept. It is vital that the concept of SFM be included in a forestry Bill. Were it not included, I would be concerned.

Deputy McNamara rightly pointed out that there was a balance. We all know that. The balance can be skewed in all directions by commercial, environmental, heritage and ecological imperatives. SFM is the concept that attempts to strike that balance. It recognises the economic value, imperative and potential, but states that these can only be developed sustainably if we recognise that it is not just a short-term matter, but is also about links to our heritage, biodiversity, climate change and social and cultural issues. Rio's declaration is the most comprehensive statement in this regard. As such, I do not know why one would second-guess or have a problem with it or why it would be inappropriate for inclusion in this Bill as an informing spine to forest policy. I will press this amendment and table it again on Report Stage.