Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage

2:05 pm

Photo of Michael McNamaraMichael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is clear that this is about regulation and the Bill fails to the extent that it is about making it easier for forestry owners. The Bill must strike a balance between protecting the forestry sector and protecting the environment. It is set out in numerous places that it seeks to do that, but it lumps all of the regulatory burden onto private forestry owners. The person who does that is the Minister, who, effectively, owns Coillte. In so far as it lumps all of the regulatory burden onto the private foresters, in my opinion it is unconstitutional. Obviously,-----

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