Mr. Thomas Ryan:

I will briefly address four areas. I note Deputy Cannon, who raised the apprenticeship scheme, has left the meeting. The scheme is based on a model introduced by the Canadian Government known as the apprenticeship job creation tax credit.

Essentially, this is a non-refundable tax credit equal to 10% of the employee's salary each year, up to a maximum of €2,000 per year. It has been in place for ten years, since May 2006. It is seen as something that encourages the normalisation of work when these people are taken on. While there can be a black economy issue the apprenticeship scheme also stimulates activity in the rural economy for the micro-enterprises such as the one or two person artisan food producer or the local mechanic. Something like this can make a difference with regard to taking on that extra person, and every job counts in rural Ireland.

The Chairman made reference to forestry. Whether it is from an environment brief or for the diversification of farm income, forestry has a role to play. Forestry however is not just for the west of Ireland. Sometimes there is a perception that forestry is for the west. It can play a role throughout the country and in perhaps policy can better support the role of agri-forestry whereby, rather than looking at planting the entire farm that rural development programmes and rural schemes generally would facilitate and encourage payments for planting a number of acres of a holding. This is the agri-forestry concept where forestry can live better in harmony with mainstream agriculture.

With regard to the area of micro-energy - as raised by some speakers - there are two principal issues around that. The first issue is the lack of policy certainty right now. Solar energy was mentioned and at this point in time there are 20,000 acres of land under some form of a solar contract in Ireland. We have not one solar farm yet but a number have gone through planning and have received planning. There is in excess of 20,000 acres of farmland that is under some form of the solar contract. This is in anticipation of a tariff coming from Government that was due at least 12 months ago. This lack of clarity on the issue from the Government has an unintended consequence of leading to a high level of speculative activity by developers. The second issue relates to renewable energy. Deputy Cannon referred to the rooftop solar panels he saw when he was on his cycling trip across Europe. In many European states the concept of smart metering is standard but is not even introduced in Ireland. Smart metering is where a person has a solar panel or micro turbine on the farm and they can discount the energy produced by the turbine or solar panel from their overall energy use and reduce the cost of their electricity. The enabling of smart metering would be a driving force towards the uptake of renewables.

I will now turn to the matter of the tariff that may be announced by Government around renewable electricity, specifically solar. We are lobbying for favourable discrimination towards community participation. Where development companies offer a proportion of the project for community ownership they would get a tariff premium of an increase in cents per kilowatt hour for facilitating community participation and community ownership. It is seeking to move the narrative on so that these renewable projects can live more hand-in-hand with the local communities within which they are often imposed. My colleague, Thomas Cooney has addressed the issue of greenways. I would say to the committee that there is a vacuum in this respect because there is a lack of a national framework in the development of greenways in the State. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae knows well the scenario in south Kerry and we have members from Donegal, Cavan, Leitrim, to name a few counties. That is before we even talk about the 180 km from Dublin going across to Galway. The development of greenways, one of which is in Meath, was referred to as haphazard. Some are led by the Transport Infrastructure Ireland, some are led by local authorities, some are led by partnership companies and, quite frankly, there is not that certainty in place. We do not know if the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross intends to hold consultation but we are seeking dialogue on it. Greenways have a role to play but there must be a framework which recognises that one cannot just carve up a farmer's farmholding for the purpose of putting a cycle track through the middle of it. There is a balance to be struck.