Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last year, the EU Commission published guidelines on biodiversity and friendly afforestation. It provided recommendations on biodiversity and friendly afforestation projects at a local level. Forestry should deliver for the environment, economy and local communities. The response to the inability to meet afforestation targets has been to invite in investment firms with solely commercial interests. Last year, we saw the disastrous deal between Coillte and a British investment firm. Craggagh community, between Kiltimagh and Balla, has rallied in response to plans by a French investment company to plant an enormous plantation of Sitka spruce forest in the area while at the same time, young people cannot get planning permission on their own lands. Sinn Féin called then and calls again now for the new planting to be done by public bodies, farmers and co-operatives. We should be supporting farmers and foresters rather than investment funds to plant trees. EU forestry grants and single-farm payments going to investment funds with only a commercial mandate is wrong. Will the Taoiseach raise the concerns of Craggagh residents with his Ministers for agriculture and climate change?

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