Forestry and tree-planting

Sir, – In Kevin O’Sullivan’s article (“Climate change ‘out of control’ after hottest week”, News, July 8th), Minister for Climate Eamon Ryan is quoted as saying that temperature trends risked the “unravelling of the natural systems on which our security depends” and that there was hope in the “alternative path which is also available – especially in embracing wind and solar power”. However, there appears to be silence on another Green Party portfolio that represents our most significant potential terrestrial carbon sink – planting trees. Over the past decade, the State has failed to plant its published tree planting targets, amounting to a staggering 100 million trees not planted.

Since the start of this year, Ireland has had no forestry programme in place with consequent devastating and long-term impacts on tree planting, significant missed carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation opportunities, including biodiversity enhancement, and further missed sustainable rural development goals. This situation pertains despite cross-party politicians at the Oireachtas committee on agriculture meetings over several years calling out the serious and now catastrophic issues facing forestry and tree planting in Ireland. – Yours, etc,

DONAL WHELAN,

Technical director,