Vol. 402 No. 1
175 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Energy if he will withdraw Irish Government support from the tropical forest action plan, which has resulted in the acceleration of tropical deforestation, until that plan has been restructured to meet its original goal of checking deforestation and incorporating multi-disciplinary planning with a bottom up input from indigenous peoples and non-governmental organisations.
While recognising that the tropical forestry action plan has not been without its shortcomings I regard the plan as capable of making a useful contribution to the conservation of tropical forests. A welcome and timely independent review of the plan is at present under way. As no other agreed framework for international co-operation in this area exists, the best way forward is the revision and strengthening of the action plan, and this country supports the efforts being made to make it more effective.
