Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Yes, this is quoting the report. It is what prompted me to raise the issue. The report states: "The pandemic has highlighted the recreational importance of forestry as the public increased their use of public forests and trails to be closer to nature".I am sticking to the report strictly. It states that trees give us clean air, prevent flooding and mitigate water movements, prevent soil erosion, provide habitats and biodiversity and are a great public amenity for recreational use. I was totally on point with the committee's report and welcome its acknowledgement of those benefits. During lockdown we were all craving nature and we discovered pockets of trees we did not even know were there. We have significant mental health issues in this country and we cannot all afford to go to counselling, and there are issues with counselling services. It is amazing what native woodlands do for one's mental health. We have seen forest bathing and all the other things people go on about on Instagram. If one goes walking in a native woodland, one will come back a better person. That has a big part to play, especially in a climate emergency and a biodiversity emergency.