Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, Deputy Carthy, for introducing this motion on behalf of Sinn Féin. One of the greatest areas of potential for tackling climate change and biodiversity loss is through protecting and restoring our forests. A good forestry strategy can deliver for the environment, local communities and even for our economy.

Part of this could and should be encouraging farmers and farming communities to diversify; a community-centred, inclusive approach to management of our lands. A just transition was said to be an important pillar of the Government's climate action plan in which afforestation plays an important role. However, we now know that the Government's plans are for large tracts of land not to be put to use by local and farming communities, but instead diverted to a British investment fund called Gresham House. That is scandalous and it is not a just transition.

Coillte, a State-owned body, will source the land and plant and manage the trees while international investors and shareholders will siphon the financial reward. That land could otherwise have been the basis of income and livelihood for farming and rural communities. Now, it will be just another asset in the investment portfolio of Gresham House courtesy of this Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party Government. The risk of land price inflation will follow this deal. The risk is very real with some estimating that it could push land prices up by as much as 33% and right up to 80%.

No wonder the Irish Wildlife Trust described this deal as a scandal. It said it is bad for rural communities and that funding that could be invested in rural communities is going instead into the pockets of a British investment firm. Therefore, I ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to stop this deal now on behalf of rural communities and on behalf of Irish agriculture.

We need to increase significantly the planting of forestry to meet our climate obligations and protect our biodiversity. That requires engagement and buy-in from local and rural communities. The Government must then address the issues that have led to farmers withdrawing from this crucial sector. It needs to publish a new forestry strategy and implement the recommendations of the Mackinnon and subsequent reports. Again, I call on the Dáil not only to support this motion but to act on it.

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