Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Section 5 includes a number of promotional functions of the Minister to facilitate the development of forestry, which in turn contributes to a competitive timber industry and the creation of jobs in rural Ireland. I am satisfied this is adequately addressed in the section. As supportive as I am of measures to improve employment in rural areas and the development of a competitive timber industry, the Deputy will no doubt be aware there are considerable restrictions in national and EU law on how the Government can intervene in the marketplace to promote certain economic activities or the development of national industries. Through successive rural development programmes and under state aid rules, the Government and the EU have provided substantial levels of funding for afforestation over recent decades, which provides significant volumes of timber for the market as well as associated employment opportunities. It is a matter for the markets to determine the price of saw log and it is most definitely not the function of the Minister to interfere in the process. Therefore, I do not propose to accept amendments Nos. 21 and 94.