Incentive price structure for biomass energy leads to forest fears

FEARS have arisen that forestry thinnings will be redirected from Coillte timber processing plants to biomass-powered electricity generating stations because of incentives in that sector.

The issue was raised in the Dáil after Energy Minister Eamon Ryan announced a new Government price structure for energy produced from biomass.

Fine Gael agriculture spokesman Michael Creed said the law of unintended consequences had arisen.