The Green Party has today (Thursday, October 16) welcomed clarification from Coillte regarding alleged large-scale illegal tree-felling at a privately owned site in Knockbrack, Co. Cork.

Speaking following communication with Coillte, Green Party spokesperson for Nature, Heritage and Agriculture, Senator Malcolm Noonan explained that he welcomed the proactive role taken by Coillte in their investigation regarding the tree-felling.

He said: "I acknowledge that Coillte had absolutely no knowledge of or involvement in what was illegal tree-felling activity on privately owned lands and had previously refused access to their forest road by an individual seeking access to the private land.

"Coillte followed all due protocol once it had been established that state lands had been trespassed upon to access the private lands."

Tree-felling

Senator Noonan said that the destruction of mature woodlands during the nesting season has been of "considerable upset" to all who care for nature.

He added: "I welcome the fact that National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS), Coillte and the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) are all conducting their own investigations of this awful incident.

"I appreciate the update from Coillte on the matter and am fully supportive of their efforts and that of other agencies to establish the facts around this case.

"We are in the depths of a global biodiversity crisis and we have a collective responsibility in Ireland to restore nature, not to destroy it."