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

I move amendment No. 9:

In page 8, line 17, after "against" to insert "the harmful effects of pollution including airborne pollution and".

The reason for this amendment is self-evident, in that airborne pollution is a danger to forestry and it should be explicitly set out that we seek to protect our forests from it. I am taking my lead from the Rio forest principles. Indeed, the amendments' phrasing is taken directly from Article 2(b) of the declaration's principles and elements section. The declaration rightly recognised the need to indicate the various threats to forestry and woodlands against which it was critical to protect. If we are to protect our forests, ancient woodlands, biodiversity and so on properly, we need to recognise this threat when developing forest management, protection and conservation plans and measures. These are sensible amendments that follow an international precedent and I do not know why the Government would not deign to accept them.

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