The protest gets underway at 12.30pm outside Leinster House.

'I raised concerns about the prospect of such a deal in the Dáil last November'

Owen Cooney has been successfully integrating forestry into his farm over many years.

Councillor Feeley also hit out at "the criminal fashion" in which some forestry in Cavan has been replanted.

Martina Conway of the Western Forestry Co-Op says trade is gone and people are leaving the sector altogether.

The North East Forestry Group has joined with eight other forest owner groups to form a national body, called the Irish Forest Owners. The Westmeath

The forestry industry has "slipped into a massive crisis, where everything is held up". That's according to Simon White, from the Forest Owners Co-

54 forestry applications have been granted in the Shannonside Northern Sound region so far this year. Monaghan TD Matt Carthy recently asked Minister for Agriculture