Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is all related. We will be delayed if I go on. There are a few things there. Why does the Government not remove the VAT from low-emission slurry spreading equipment? The Minister says that forestry eats up carbon but at the same time there is a great deal of marginal land in south Kerry and other parts of the county but farmers will not be given grants to plant on it. They will be given grants to plant on good ground - green ground, as it is called - but they will not be given grants to plant on marginal ground. There is also a problem in that when storms knock down the forestry, as has happened, there is no grant to replant it. If the Government was serious about planting trees, it could help people in that regard. There are people who cannot cut down their forestry. They get their last grant payment 15 years after planting but it is not viable to cut it until 30 years have passed. It is there and is doing the country good but, as a farmer who came to me the other day said, the farmers are getting nothing for it.

There is also another type of farmer. At one point in February there were 140 farmers who could not take out their timber and replant because they were prevented from getting planning permission for roads by serial objectors. I have asked this question in the Dáil; what is going to be done about these serial objectors? These are real issues.

There is also the issue of designations, such as that for the hen harrier. A farmer cannot establish forestry on land that is designated for hen harriers. At the same time, right on the other side of the ditch, forestry that was planted 20 or 25 years ago is growing fine. The hen harrier has no problem going into the forested area. There are ridiculous rules such as these. Another thing is-----