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

I move amendment No. 38:

In page 13, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following:"13. (1) The Minister may require the carrying out of ecological surveys of any afforestation sites to—

(a) prevent damage to species and habitats that the state has responsibility to protect, or

(b) prevent genetic pollution of existing and ancient woodlands, which might be adversely impacted by new plantations of native species of an exotic source.

(2) The Minister will make provision for concerned citizens to petition him or her for an ecological survey to be conducted where a citizen believes the ecological integrity of a forest or protected species or habitats are endangered by activities within or outside the forest.".

We discussed this on Committee Stage. I am proposing to allow the Minister to require "ecological surveys of any afforestation sites" to be carried out. I am not sure we have made the point that the cutting down of trees and the carrying out of other activities in or close to forests are not the only things that can be problematic. The wrong type of afforestation, or inappropriate afforestation, can be problematic as well. Perhaps we should require the Minister to consider the impact the particular type of trees being planted may have at all sorts of levels. It is important to reflect on the impact of certain types of trees on the local environment, wildlife, soil, local communities and the broad ecology of a locality. I have often discussed people's concern about the reasons for cutting down trees and their belief that they should not have been cut down. We should bear in mind that when forests are being developed, communities are often concerned that the wrong types of trees are being planted. Obviously, this relates to the ongoing debate about the excessive focus on sitka spruce as a single species and the impact that such a monoculture can have on ecology. That is the logic behind this amendment, which would empower citizens who are concerned about the impact of particular approaches to forestry on the local ecology, native woodlands and existing woodlands by giving them the right to petition for ecological surveys to be done.

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