During this week's meeting of Cavan County County, Cllr John Paul Feely called on the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue to amend regulations so that a much needed 'tree free zone' can be established in west Cavan.
Cllr Feely's calls are specific to plantations adjacent to electrical supply lines and he believes there must be at least 30m each side of the lines to minimise power outages for households.
The local Fianna Fail councillor says that difficulties have arisen for a number of households in the locality because of the "over-concentration" of commercial forestry in west Cavan.
Speaking to Shannonside Northern Sound, Cllr Feely highlighted how he, Cllr Peter McVitty, and Cllr Sean Smith have raised the matter numerous times at committee level.
He added that while the ESB has proven very helpful to councillors, Coillte has disappointed him with its attitude. "The Forestry Service in the Department of Agriculture see themselves as agents to promote afforestation; they do not see themselves as regulators - in my view - of forestry and of ensuring that proper regulations and planning is implemented in relation to afforestation.
That is a constant bugbear of mine; there have been various small improvements but they are always very much fought against by the Forestry Service and by vested interests in the forestry companies," Cllr Feely concluded.
