Paul Murphy: Quilce scrapping Quilce Nature is 'blatant greenwashing'
Paul Murphy criticised Quilce's decision to close Quilce Nature and said the move undermines restoration and biodiversity efforts across Ireland. He accused the decision and related woodland credit schemes of amounting to greenwashing and urged a reversal of the forestry-for-profit model.
Paul Murphy said Quilce has silently scrapped Quilce Nature, the company's not-for-profit wing that was described as dedicated to restoration, regeneration and rehabilitation of nature across Ireland. He said Quilce claims the decision will help it reach climate and biodiversity targets.
He questioned whether the work will now be carried out through the Nature Trust, which sells woodland credits to companies in return for investing in planting. Paul Murphy contrasted Quilce's claim that this is not a carbon offsetting programme with the Bank of Ireland's description of the Nature Trust Woodland Credit Scheme as used in a carbon offsetting social enterprise.
He argued Storm Eowen exposed the lack of resilience in the country's monocultural forestry model and warned that a forestry-for-profit approach risks turning counties such as Leitrim into biodiversity dead zones. He labelled the pattern as greenwashing and said it will not avert climate and biodiversity catastrophes.
Paul Murphy asked the minister to outline how the change came about and whether the government will reverse course on the forestry-for-profit model. The minister responded that forestry has moved away from monoculture toward more broadleaf and mixed plantations, that commercial forestry and timber remain necessary, and that timber-frame housing can be more climate friendly than cement. The minister also pointed to a comprehensive scheme announced last year and significant grants available to farmers as part of efforts to increase varied plantations and biodiversity.
Quilce Nature scrapped
Paul Murphy said Quilce has silently scrapped Quilce Nature, the company's not-for-profit wing that was described as dedicated to restoration, regeneration and rehabilitation of nature across Ireland. He said Quilce claims the decision will help it reach climate and biodiversity targets.
Nature Trust and woodland credits
He questioned whether the work will now be carried out through the Nature Trust, which sells woodland credits to companies in return for investing in planting. Paul Murphy contrasted Quilce's claim that this is not a carbon offsetting programme with the Bank of Ireland's description of the Nature Trust Woodland Credit Scheme as used in a carbon offsetting social enterprise.
Storm Eowen and monocultural forestry
He argued Storm Eowen exposed the lack of resilience in the country's monocultural forestry model and warned that a forestry-for-profit approach risks turning counties such as Leitrim into biodiversity dead zones. He labelled the pattern as greenwashing and said it will not avert climate and biodiversity catastrophes.
Government response and forestry balance
Paul Murphy asked the minister to outline how the change came about and whether the government will reverse course on the forestry-for-profit model. The minister responded that forestry has moved away from monoculture toward more broadleaf and mixed plantations, that commercial forestry and timber remain necessary, and that timber-frame housing can be more climate friendly than cement. The minister also pointed to a comprehensive scheme announced last year and significant grants available to farmers as part of efforts to increase varied plantations and biodiversity.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Michael Collins
Michael Collins: Labels policing reform rural abandonment
Sharon Keogan
Sharon Keogan: US tariffs an 'existential' threat to Ireland
Rose Conway-Walsh
Rose Conway-Walsh Challenges Garda Handling of Mother's Day Protest
Brian Stanley
Brian Stanley: Questions delay in free HRT rollout after budget pledge
Richard Boyd Barrett
Richard Boyd Barrett warns of ambulance staffing crisis
Mattie McGrath
Mattie McGrath Backs Deputy Murphy, Calls to End Charades
Transcript
One of the things that Storm Eowen exposed was the lack of resilience of our monocultural forestry model. Unfortunately, it is set to get worse due to a recent decision of Quilce that they have silently scrapped Quilce Nature, its not-for-profit wing that is supposed to be dedicated to the restoration, regeneration and rehabilitation of nature across Ireland. In an Orwellian fashion, they claim that scrapping Quilce Nature is going to allow them to reach their climate and biodiversity targets. Is this to be done through Nature Trust, which sells woodland credits to companies in return for investing in planting? Quilce tries to inspire confidence by claiming that this is not a carbon offsetting programme, but Bank of Ireland, which developed the Nature Trust Woodland Credit Scheme, describes it as being used in a carbon offsetting social enterprise. It is clear where Minister for Sitka Spruce, Michael Healy Ray's emphasis is. Blatant greenwashing, forestry for profit is not going to avert the climate catastrophe and biodiversity catastrophes that we face. Will you outline how this came about and will you reverse track on the current forestry for profit model that is turning counties like Leitrim into biodiversity dead zones? We have moved from a monocultural form of forestry. More recent plans are much more into broadleaf trees and a proper mixture. We do need commercial forestry as well. We do need timber. I would argue that timber frame housing is more climate friendly than cement and so on. So we do need a better balance. We can't just ridicule forestry for profit. We do need a commercial forestry sector. We also need greater biodiversity, greater varied plantations of trees and I'm very keen on that and I think a very comprehensive scheme has been announced last year. Very significant grants available to farmers in particular but I think farmers obviously have traditional, you know, the main commodities and dairy and beef and the rest of it and it's not as easy to move people over to forestry but that work will continue. I think I've exhausted much of a candidate. Thank you.