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

I find Deputy McNamara’s argument quite compelling. When I think about it, it is similar to one of the amendments I had tabled, which was ruled out of order because it could involve a charge on the Exchequer, that would ensure financial recognition for forest owners who did not harvest a crop in the interest of European designations or good environmental management. It is about encouraging people to engage in forestry but also to ensure that those who the State hopes will develop forestry will have some guarantee that they will not be at a loss for doing so. I would like to see the State forestry company, Coillte, significantly contribute to afforestation. There needs to be a debate about its incapacity to do so with EU rules and so forth. Given that the Government’s focus is about encouraging private farmers to move into forestry in a larger way-----

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