Planting conifers is probably the only economic activity that will contribute to Ireland meeting its commitments under the Kyoto protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2006, according to the Minister of State for Marine, Mr Hugh Byrne.
Conifers were "not the environmental beasts they were portrayed to be". He said they took more carbon from the atmosphere than any other economic activity.
He told Mr Michael Bell, Labour's marine and natural resources spokesman, that the afforestation plan aimed for self-sufficiency in timber by 2030.
Mr Bell pointed out that £220 million worth of saw wood and other wood was imported each year. Mr Byrne said 9 per cent of the State was under forests and the plan reached its target in 2030, 17 per cent of land would be afforested.
Mr Byrne said the Department would do "all we can" to ensure Irish workers benefited from the oil and gas drilling "bonanza" off the coast. Irish companies would have full opportunity to compete at all stages of exploration and to bid for work.
He denied suggestions that the Government was "colluding" to give wealth away to a multinational company and said it was wrong to say this.
Mr Joe Higgins (Socialist, Dublin West) claimed there was "fabulous mineral wealth" in the Corrib field and there was virtually no return to the Irish public. He wanted the Irish people to benefit from offshore mineral wealth as the Norwegians benefited from their mineral wealth.
He said the Government had not insisted that Irish workers would be employed by the exploration company, Enterprise Oil.
A review of the proposed Loran C navigation mast at Loop Head in Co Clare is expected to be completed shortly. Mr Byrne ?????????ail said he would make suggestions to Government soon on what should be done.
He said it would be difficult to find a system as sophisticated as the Loran C, because "it is the king of all systems". He was asked by Mr Michael Finucane, Fine Gael's marine spokesman, if the State would be sued for contravening a binding international agreement if the Loran C equipment was not put in place.
"We do not want to be surcharged or sued," Mr Byrne said. "My view is that if alternative systems can be identified in the consultations, our international partners will be happy. However, the alternatives must provide the same mechanism for sea safety as the Loran C mast would have done."
Mr Byrne stressed he was not giving the impression that Loran C "has been done away with", because discussions and consultations on the matter had not been finalised.
