Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Because of the declining performance, we conducted a mid-term review of the forestry programme. We have revised the level of grant aid available for various species mix. All of them have increased. We hope we can get the targets back on track. This is very important. It was the rationale behind reviewing the operational programme for forestry. It remains to be seen. There is a narrative, as the Deputy is aware, in certain parts of the country where forestry is considered to be a dirty word. This is unfortunate. Deputy Martin Kenny is here and we have discussed this issue previously. There is a hierarchy of objectives that we need to meet, one of which is climate change. Trees are a critical part of the solution. I am not saying they should be concentrated in any given area. Apart from the climate obligation, they also bring a number of other benefits in terms of employment and income that is tax-free for 15 years. There is also employment in timber processing and downstream businesses. We could collectively do well to consider how we could work to promote forestry. Last week, I deliberately made the point in the Golden Vale and Tipperary that trees should not be the burden of any particular community to carry. Every farmer and every region should be obliged to consider tree planting in some shape or form. It is interesting we are having this discussion during National Tree Week. We have been missing our targets significantly. Did the Deputy raise another issue?