Fine Gael TD for Limerick Patrick O’Donovan, has said that the forestry sector has the potential to create jobs and drive part of the Co. Limerick economy. He was speaking in the Dáil where the Forestry Bill was being debated.
Deputy O’Donovan said that Co. Limerick in particular presented major opportunities for the sector and he urged the Department of Agriculture to engage with the stakeholders including the forestry advisors, landowners, farm organisations and others to ensure that those working in the industry had every opportunity to help shape the future development of the industry.
Patrick O’Donovan also said that it was important to bear in mind that because of the nature of land ownership in the country that achieving increased levels of forestry could only be done with dialogue and engagement. He welcomed the fact that the funding for the sector had been secured in the budgets that the Government had presented since taking office and he wanted to see this continue.
The Limerick TD asked Minister Tom Hayes to consider other issues which the bill doesn’t address including the need for the Department to bear in mind the damage caused to rural roads in the areas adjacent to the forested areas and he asked that the Department would consider the possibility of providing funds to those local authorities who have concentrated amounts of forestry.
He also raised the issue of Pillar II of the upcoming Rural Development Programme and asked that the Minister of State with responsibility for forestry would engage with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to ensure that the issues confronting landowners in areas of Special Areas of Conservation would receive particular attention.
He said that he had seen at first hand the positive opportunities that exist in the forestry industry in Limerick and that with a concrete relationship between the department and those involved locally in the industry that further opportunities would be realised.