| IFA Farm Forestry Chairman Pat Hennessy said the Government must re-think its plan to cut the afforestation capital budget by €20m as it will impact on rural jobs and deprive the Irish environment of a valuable carbon sink. Afforestation is a very labour intensive operation and a reduction in an annual planting programme from 7,500 hectares in 2010 to an estimated 2,000 hectares next year will result in the loss of over 1,300 rural jobs, both direct and indirect.
(See Editors’ Note) He said, “Despite setting an annual planting target of 10,000 hectares in the Renewed Programme for Government last October, it now appears the reduced budget will fund less than 2,000 hectares.” Mr Hennessy said the cuts demonstrate a lack of understanding of the strategic importance of forestry to Ireland’s economic recovery. “Forests are central to the future of our green economy. Forestry is our only carbon positive sector and our largest biomass resource. Government must provide a framework for the expansion of the sector, not act as an obstacle to its development.” He said the knock on effects of the reduced capital budget will be devastating. “In the short to medium term the nurseries and forest services companies will be hit very hard. They have indicated previously that a minimum 5,000 hectares is required to maintain these services. In the longer-term there will be serious implications for the sustainable supply of timber to the processing and wood energy sectors as well as our climate change commitments.” The IFA Forestry Chairman said, “the potential of the sector will only be realised if Government provides the necessary supports. The contribution that can be made to economic activity and the mitigation of climate change has been underestimated for too long.” |
Thursday, 02 September 2010 12:28