merrion street

Shane McEntee TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Forestry, marked National Tree Week by planting an Irish oak sapling at the Coillte forest at Littlewood, Slane, Co. Meath today as part of a charity fundraising initiative.

National Tree Week, organised by the Tree Council of Ireland, is an annual, week-long festival celebrating all positive aspects of trees in our lives and environment. The theme of National Tree Week 2012, which takes place from 4-10 March, is ‘Trees – Our Past, Our Present, Our Future’.

The tree planting event by Minister of State McEntee formed part of a new fundraising initiative by the Aisling Group International Charity. The Aisling Group International is an addiction counselling charity and was founded by Ms. Marie Byrne as a direct response to the public’s need for information and help, relating to the negative effects from drugs and alcohol misuse. The saplings, kindly donated by Coillte, will be used by the Aisling Group International to raise much needed funds by asking donors to “Sponsor a Sapling”, with all sponsors receiving a certificate.

Minister of State McEntee used the occasion to highlight “the many social and environmental benefits provided by forestry in that it is a source of renewable energy, a natural means of carbon storage, an important habitat for our biodiversity and a recreational facility for us all”.

On the involvement of the Aisling Group International, the Minister of State added “This year’s theme for National Tree Week is ‘Trees – Our Past, Our Present, Our Future’ and I’m glad that the trees that will be planted here can be used by the Aisling Group International to highlight the need to learn from our past and look towards a brighter future for people affected by addiction.”