Madam, - As the level of afforestation in Ireland falls to a 20-year low, the Department of the Environment must immediately examine the barriers to afforestation which have been erected on very dubious scientific grounds.
It is a national disgrace to see such low levels of afforestation when there is such a massively underused land bank which is surplus to agriculture requirements and ideally suited to forestry. Ireland's new wood chip and wood pellet industries are supplying energy up to 60 per cent cheaper than imported oil. Our vibrant, home-grown, rural-based saw-milling and timber-processing industries need more sawlogs, so it is imperative that the level of new forest planting be massively increased.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley must immediately recognise the excellence of the current set of forest service environmental guidelines and remove the blanket ban and the precautionary principle approach methods which are devastating the Strategic Plan for the Development of the Forestry Sector in Ireland (July 1996).
Environmental and political leadership is urgently needed to rally support for this vital and renewable industry. Farmers need the option to diversify into forestry. It is inexcusable that there are current job losses in the forestry sector when the potential for further sustainable growth is immense.
Mr Gormley is fighting to get Brussels to allow Irish forests to be counted as carbon sinks. I would really like to see him fighting for Irish afforestation and its vital role in clean energy and combating climate change. - Yours, etc,
JOHN J. JACKSON, Teevickmoy, Stranorlar, Co Donegal.