DEAR SIR: Thank you for highlighting the many obstacles now in place for farmers considering forestry as a land use. You highlighted the requirement for site notices outlining the plans for the forest as a barrier. It is, to my mind, a huge overreach on private data by the Department. In 2014, the Department brought in retrospective legislation requiring site notices for forestry operations including felling.

Felling the plantation is a once-in-a-lifetime operation, with the crop on average over 30 years old, for most farm forestry owners. Unless the site notice is in place, the operation cannot go ahead. This notice is required on the roadside (usually in front of a farmer’s home) identifying the owners, their place of residence and the area to be felled. A 10ha clearfell of Sitka spruce can yield up to €200,000. Forestry is often situated in remote areas with poor security from our gardaí due to minimal resources. At a time when real fear exists in rural Ireland re roaming gangs preying on the most vulnerable farming families, these site notices present a danger to personal safety.