Ms Bernie Gray:

Before I get into the detail of responding to the members, I should point out that Coillte commissioned a very expensive stakeholder survey this year involving the public and other stakeholders regarding their views on forestry and what they want and expect from it. It was quite clear that the public perceive forestry to have assumed a predominance which it did not have previously. People view it as a vocational issue in terms of the necessity for Ireland to utilise the asset extremely carefully. It was part of Coillte's understanding of that which underpinned the request for the survey in the first place. Coillte is very conscious of its responsibilities and the issue of climate action and the various manifestations of it, which I will go through in due course.

To respond to Senator Mulherin's questions, there is no doubt that there were areas of poor communication regarding the farm partnership scheme. There is also no doubt that the number and complexity of those schemes made it difficult to communicate in terms of the benefits. All the benefits in those schemes are now up to date and that detail has been accompanied by a clear statement to each farmer outlining what the potential benefits are for him or her over a time period. The position for the participants in the partnership scheme is much improved with respect to their understanding of the benefit that will flow from Coillte arising from their investment. Coillte has recognised it needed to communicate better and it has put additional resources in place to make sure the process is kept up to the date.