Mr. Mike Glennon:

Figures show that the price of saw material delivered into Irish sawmills is approximately 40% higher than in Scotland and England. Not only must we supply this wood to the United Kingdom market, but we must stretch it across the most expensive stretch of water in Europe. The only reason for this disparity is the shortage of raw material on this island. The Government forecasts on which the industry was built were wrong and we have been battling with that issue since.