Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the matter of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, the lack of broadleaf trees was very much raised. In my constituency, very close to my home, we have Cratloe Wood, a 600 acre plantation which was once western Europe’s largest oak wood. The rafters above the chamber in which Queen Elizabeth II lay in state were built from Cratloe oak beams. The Royal Palace Amsterdam and HMS Victory were all built from Cratloe oak and, perhaps, even this building. Nowadays, if one goes to Cratloe Wood, it is Sitka spruce everywhere and there is only a small cohort of native oak trees. I have been leading an initiative locally.

There are a few drops of rain falling from the sky light, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, with some lightning too. Perhaps we need to get the roof fixed but we could fix it with Cratloe oak because the water is dropping here now.

This would be a great initiative as we are trying to lead something locally, but there needs to be Government buy-in. Perhaps the Government might pick some project forests like Cratloe Wood to reintegrate native trees. They are being propagated once more with the nurseries in Wicklow taking the acorns from Cratloe oaks. We could do with some Cratloe oak here as there are even more drops falling, as I speak. We may have to abandon the Chamber soon.

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