122 Irish Forestry and Overseas Development Aid R. M. Keogh Forest and Wildlife Service, Sidmonton Place, Bray, Co. Wick low. INTRODUCfION An area of dense forest, greater than the size of the Republic of Ireland is being cleared each year in the tropics. This is equivalent to deforestating the Phoenix Park every 50 minutes (Gorta, 1985a). Tropical deforestation, with the consequential problems of erosion, water-shed mismanagement, loss of potential forest produce (fuelwood, lumber, fodder, food in some cases) and loss of habitat for both flora and fauna "can reasonably be seen as the most important forest question of our time" (Anonymous, 1982b). Forest organisations and governments are reacting with growing concern and this has been expressed at several recent international meetings. For example, the IX World Forestry Congress, held in Mexico in 1985, was devoted largely to development in the tropics. In view of the magnitude and complexity of this issue, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) prepared, in 1985, an overall framework to guide future co-operation in tropical forestry. This is called the Tropical Forestry Action Plan (FAO, 1985). The plan has received broad international support: it envisages a doubling of aid to assist tropical forestry over the 5 year period 1986-1990 which, in monetary terms, would amount to US$8 billion or a doubling of present levels of external aid to combat deforestation (WRI, 1985). There is a general acceptance that tropical countries cannot overcome the problems on their own and solutions will involve the whole international community (Franklin, 1986; Leakey and Last, 1983; Postel, 1984). The Republic of Ireland is a member of that community and any role the country might assume should be co- ordinated with recognised international initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to outline Irish trade links with tropical countries as well as Irish aid contributions from the forestry point-of-view. IRELAND AND THE TROPICAL HARDWOOD TRADE The Republic of Ireland imports the equivalent of 120,OOOm 3 of high quality roundwood lumber from the tropics annually. This material, which is valued at about IR£16 million, comes from IRISH FORESTRY, 1986, Vol. 43, No.2: 122-127.