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

First of all, the 6,000 ha which the Minister is talking about is a massive undershoot on what is necessary in order for us to reach our target, which keeps shifting out in any event, but which is currently to move from a pathetic 11% rate of forest cover to 17%. In deference to my Sinn Féin colleague, I stress that we do not want to see the expansion of the industrial sitka spruce type of afforestation but rather the development of native broadleaf species, particularly in uplands. I suspect that these are precisely the areas where these very controversial industrial wind farms will be developed. Major questions lie over these farms in terms of the contribution they will make to net carbon reduction in real terms. On the other hand, we know that native broadleaf forests contribute in a measurable way to net carbon reduction through acting as carbon sinks. We also know that they enhance biodiversity and, critically, help mitigate flooding downstream. In Wales, big projects are going on lands which would not be considered suitable for industrial or commercial forestry. Native broadleaf species are being grown on the uplands for their biodiversity benefits, for their carbon sink benefits, but also because they mitigate flooding. It has made a tangible difference downstream in terms of mitigating flooding. Why is Coillte not doing that instead of building more industrial wind farms?

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