Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In regard to the management plans and the administrative burden in terms of costs and so on, the witnesses did not clarify the current cost of a felling licence and what new costs are anticipated as a result of this legislation. I would welcome if they could elaborate further on those issues. Also, one of the witnesses said that the provision of management plans should be voluntary rather than mandatory. Given the State is investing heavily in subsidising forestry I believe it is reasonable there should be a management plan in place. Do the witnesses anticipate the need for a tiered level of management plan, depending on acreage or size of forestry to which a plan is applicable, in order to ease the financial burden on smaller growers? It is reasonable in my view that management plans should be put in place given the State's investment in this area into the future. I do not believe it is sufficient to say that this would result in financial loss to a grower who does not manage a forest properly. It is also a financial loss to the State in terms of its subsidisation of forestry into the future.