Help save our precious forests

THE possible sell-off of Irish forests and bogs (but apparently not the land they grow on) — as put forward in the McCarthy report — is clearly ludicrous and economic nonsense.

Coillte and Bord na Mona (now to be amalgamated as BioEnergy) are already selling the trees and peat. Coillte, of course, are also selling and leasing land to developers for gas refineries, wind farms, nursing homes, etc. Much of this land was once public commonage and was given into the custody of Coillte to produce much-needed timber, so it is an outrage that they should be allowed to sell it.

If the general sell-off should be allowed, then it will be open season for all kinds of development that would destroy the Irish landscape — mining, oil, gas and quarrying probably being the greatest threats. Just before the election, then-minister Brian Lenihan gave out licences to a number of multi-nationals to drill test bores searching for gas and oil deposits in the shale beds under various parts of the country. The rot is already setting in and needs to be quickly brought under control.