Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Tree planting will play a vital role in climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In the past five years, we have missed tree planting targets by over 15,000 ha. We have lost the opportunity to remove 5.4 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere. Tree planting in 2021 stands at an abysmal 2,000 ha. The Social, Economic, Environmental Forestry Association states it cannot get enough licences to plant trees to increase our forestry coverage. In light of COP26, what changes will we see to address the licensing crisis? How will the Government restore confidence so that a meaningful afforestation programme can be incentivised? Will the Government take responsibility to ensure that a bespoke afforestation programme will be fully integrated into the next Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, to ensure tree-planting targets are delivered upon?

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