Sir, – While the Taoiseach states he cannot reduce the bonuses and pay of bankers, he had no difficulty in cutting the annual forestry premiums to forest owners by 8 per cent in April 2009, even though they had signed a binding contract with the Government to grow trees.
Some had committed their farmland to the current afforestation scheme only months before the premium was cut.
They now face the prospect of their land remaining in forestry production for all time without any opportunity for redress.
The forestry contract pays farmers a premium for the first 20 years to compensate them for the loss of agricultural income and is there to encourage further planting; but the land must then remain under tree cover for all time.
It is clearly in the national interest to increase the areas under forestry and provide the raw material for an industry that in addition to providing multiple environmental benefits also provides 16,000 jobs and replaces imports of both timber and hydrocarbons while sequestering carbon.
The State then collects the valuable carbon credits rather than the forest owner.
Our Government is on the one hand urging farmers to plant trees while on the other reducing their income despite the binding contracts agreed by both parties.
Is it any wonder that new planting has decreased when a contract can be altered in this manner? – Yours, etc,