Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I want to draw the Minister's attention to comments made in the past fortnight by the Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, farm safety and horticulture, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. It is really one of the first opportunities we have had to get an insight into this Government's thinking on climate and nature. The Minister of State told the Seanad during statements on forestry on 29 April:

I and my officials in the Department will look at planting more peatland. Farmers want to plant peatland. Farmers do not want to plant their green ground because they have worked so hard to get the bit they have. They broke their backs and bones to make the land green and they do not want to plant trees on it but instead use it for grazing. We want to use green ground for grazing but plant trees on rough ground and peaty ground. I am afraid that this is just one of these things on which we cannot always agree.

This was not a throwaway remark. The Minister of State came back to the topic again and reiterated the point. It is clear that he strongly believes that we must only encourage afforestation for export, that land not in service of agriculture can be directed towards this and that somehow this would be better for the environment. It is also clear that he is leading officials in his Department to develop a new policy that implements this view.

To be crystal clear for the record, a policy of planting on peatlands, which we have spent years trying to restore and preserve, would be environmental madness. Aside from it being in breach of EU law and indeed of Irish policy, it would destroy an extremely delicate and complex habitat that can provide a large and effective part of Ireland's capacity to store carbon - all of this is in order to develop cheap, quickly grown timber. UCD client scientist and lecturer, Florence Renou-Wilson, said planting on peat is , "just not a viable option for climate, for nature restoration, for anything." She continued, "Peat is a huge carbon store – a much, much better permanent carbon store than temporary forestry. [Peatlands] need to be wet to keep this carbon in."

Will the Minister please confirm whether it is the policy of the new Government to ignore science, to abandon our legal obligations and to destroy some of our best chances to capture carbon while preserving unique habitats? Has the Minister of State instructed his officials to begin implementing a new forestry plan to include planting on peatlands? If not, why is he going around telling people that this is what he has done?

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