Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The evidence coming my way is different. Forest management in Ireland is in crisis and we are creating another environmental disaster by doing what is immediately, financially and politically expedient rather than what is good for the people of our country, the Irish environment and the future of the planet. We have the second-lowest tree cover in the EU after Malta, which means we need to dramatically increase our forest cover but over-reliance on conifer-dominated forestry plantations, in particular Sitka spruce, is unsustainable. These are dark, dead forest plantations designed to be felled for profit. It is not safe to enter a forest because of the dependence on chemicals, despite what the Minister said. One would not want to anyway, as they do not support any flora or fauna, they destroy water quality and they acidify soils. Why does the Department not support more sustainable native tree cover initiatives, which are better at absorbing pollution and converting it to carbon? They do not require fertilisers or pesticides, unlike current commercial non-native tree plantations.

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