Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, the best of luck in his new portfolio, even though he has had it for quite some time. I commend his predecessor as Minister of State, the late Shane McEntee. I have no doubt he would have greatly enjoyed bringing the Bill through the House. I commend the work of both Ministers of State.

I come from a background very much involved in the forestry sector, and was involved with it before my election to this House. I know and understand the importance of the industry. The previous speakers, Deputies Coffey and O'Donovan, spoke about the importance of the sector. I do not believe people understand the investment that goes into the forestry industry. I was very much involved in the nursery side. I was employed by the None-So-Hardy nursery forestry comprising 660 acres in County Wexford. I got to see the process from the seed being sown right up to the tree being planted on some hillside in places including Wexford, Donegal, Kerry and Cork. It is amazing to see the different stages in that process.

Some 16,000 people are involved in the niche forestry sector with considerable additional indirect employment. During the housing boom from the late 1990s up to 2008, we did not have enough timber products in Ireland to keep the construction industry going. I would have thought we would have learned from that. A number of years ago, a farmer who set aside ten, 15 or 20 acres of his land for forestry was frowned upon by his farming counterparts. We have seen a sea change in that in recent years because we have seen the importance of the forestry sector for greenhouse gas reduction to assist the climate as well as what it contributes to the economy.

Today, I heard a farmer from County Wicklow speak on "Morning Ireland" about the export of Christmas trees from Ireland to Britain, France and other European markets.

Little did that small farmer think when he was planting those Christmas trees 15 or 20 years ago that he would export them to Britain or France or some other European market. That shows the high regard in which the Irish forestry sector is held in Europe and its importance to the local economy in Wicklow or wherever. It provides a significant amount of intensive employment.

I commend the former Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the late Deputy Shane McEntee, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the current Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes. I have sat at the Cabinet table for the past three years when every budget has brought in cuts and every Minister has been under real pressure to hold budgets in his or her Department and I have seen this sector hold its budget. That shows its potential.

None-So-Hardy in Wexford has 660 acres between Ballymurn outside Enniscorthy and outside Carnew in Wicklow. The Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, has seen it from start to finish and was very impressed. Deputy Coffey spoke about SmartPly. I was brought on a tour of SmartPly approximately 18 months ago. It is very important to Waterford and in Clonmel too. Ire Wel Pallets outside Kilmuckridge exports pallets not alone in Europe, but to Coca-Cola and Pfizer and so on. The pallets are delivered worldwide. When one sees a company in Wexford so dependent on wood products, manufacturing pallets, and there are many other pallet manufacturers around the country, one sees the indirect opportunities offered by this sector. I encourage the Minister of State and other farmers to get involved in the forestry industry and consider it differently from how it was considered in the past.

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