Ash dieback

Afforestation licences lapse after positive returns from late July to September, while felling licences well down but road approvals strong.

The farm body has called for a Government-funded national plan to identify and cut down trees that pose a risk to the public.

Our main vulnerability is the water supply.

The grant will provide support to forestry contractors and timber hauliers for the purchase of new forest machinery that will optimise environmental performance.

Fine Gael, Labour and Green Party strongest on a balanced ecological and commercial forestry programme, while Sinn Féin proposes native only tree species.

Department outlines procedures on reducing the risk of disease and pest damage to our trees and forests, writes Donal Magner

The new project will focus on four key areas and has been allocated €770,000.

Peter Thomas Keaveney travelled to the midlands to catch up with Ireland’s largest multifunctional tiller-mulcher, as it reclaimed 106 acres of an old Christmas tree plantation back into grassland.