Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support the point made by Deputy Barry. The amount of timber in 15 cubic metres is very little. We have to distinguish between active and passive farming. If one is growing trees as a crop, one should be able to thin out the forest and use the timber for firewood and also for sale as firewood. This Bill is unique in terms of Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine policy in that it does not differentiate between active and passive farmers. Farmers who grow a crop should have as little as possible to limit what they can do with the crop. In terms of forestry, this should mean that they can cut down trees for use as firewood, either for themselves or for sale. That is one element of the Bill. The Bill is limited to trees outside afforestation. If one goes to the trouble of planting a forest, one cannot cut the trees for one's own use, but if one has an oak tree that is 800 years old on the farm, it can be cut and put into the wood burner. In my view, that is nonsensical. It is allowing people who have mature beech, oak, or ash on the land to cut it to supply a firewood market in the local town while a person who has 200 acres of forestry cannot cut trees or even use the thinnings to supply the firewood market.