This is purely about shutting down appeals & the likes of us in Leitrim who are causing all these "problems" for the department/industry. Clearly they see us and not the issues we are raising as the problem. Shut us up and they get rid of the problem... https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/hacketts-forestry-proposals-will-shut-out-voices-of-rural-ireland-an-taisce/

Under current system, any member of public may appeal forestry licence decision, but this bill will introduce the concept of a ‘relevant person’, where in order to be eligible, an individual must have partaken in the initial forestry application process, or live adjacent to site.

But what if, like here in Leitrim, thousands of acres are planted and no one lives adjacent to them. Then what? 71% of the Leitrim townland Garvagh Glebe is already planted with conifers. Thats 875 acres. And in a 5km radius from this site there’s 7722 acres of conifers.

This information was supplied to me at an appeal by the Forestry appeals committee. Not one Environmental Impact Assessment carried out. And this is what is set to continue if this Bill is passed. Like pieces of a jigsaw, they’re just filling in the gaps that aren’t planted.