Mr. Matt Staunton:

My colleague, Mr. Johnny Fox will also help me to answer some of the questions. It would be more efficient for me to respond to the final points made by Deputy McNamara in reverse.

I do not speak for Coillte but workers who work for it. They would welcome any developments that improve access, including the new walkways and areas outlined by the Deputy.

I am not qualified to answer his criticism of Coillte policy but he made an important point. I shall wrap up by stating that the legislation on forestry dates back to the 1940s and 1950s which was followed by a huge gap until the end of the 1980s when the Government decided that a State company like Coillte would act like a machine to carry it forward. I mentioned in my presentation that this meeting is an opportunity for parliamentarians to have their say on the issue. I hope that they will go further and introduce legislation on forestry policy and arm Coillte with proper parliamentarian driven policies because legislative vacuums exist. My members have pointed them out. I hope my response has helped the Deputy.