Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Government is being accused of preparing to turn its back on rural Ireland over a major forestry plan.
It's after Coillte recently announced a partnership with a UK investment fund which aims to create a portfolio of 12 thousand hectares of forest land.
It's part of a strategic plan to create 100 thousand hectares of new forestry by 2050.
But the Western Forestry Co-Op claims removing land from rural ownership, local communities and local economies is a major misstep.
Other groups like the IFA and a wide range of forestry organisations have also voiced opposition to the plans.
Marina Conway of the Western Forestry Co-Op says that farmers are being unfairly excluded.