Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 1 March 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I trained in horticulture and spent my first years in west Cork working in the sector. I have something else in common with the witness, who is a ciotóg, like myself.

I support Deputy Fitzmaurice in respect of Mote Park. I am delighted that Coillte is going to meet. I ask to be kept informed on that as well. Deputy Fitzmaurice made a very good point.

To conclude, we have the CEO of Coillte present. There is a beautiful development on Sliabh Bawn in County Roscommon. It is 700 acres that used to be covered with spruce trees and so on, some of which are gone. As the witnesses are aware, a wind farm was installed there. I do not think Coillte has much part in the wind farm. What has happened there in terms of walkways, walking trails, nature gardens and tree gardens is amazing. There is a lot of history and all the sites have been done. The viewing tower is fantastic. That has drawn so many people to the Strokestown area, where the National Famine Museum is located, particularly during Covid, as Mr. Carlin is probably aware. Thousands of people have used it and continue to do so but much more could be done there without spoiling its beauty. I will speak to the witnesses about that at a later stage. I have some very good ideas in that regard which I hope we might be able to develop.

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