Ms Imelda Hurley:

I will add just a couple of points. Ms Gray referred to the business, the number of employees, the number of contractors and the financial return. One thing that has struck me is the fact that our forests have for a very long time - 20 years - been managed sustainably. Everyone involved has employed very good forestry management techniques. There is that real balance between the financial return and doing the right thing for the business and the forest.

I am equally struck by our need as a country to increase afforestation. Deputy Healy-Rae raised a point about an individual who is off premia and is concerned as to whether he will be around to see the return. It is important that Coillte and others look at models whereby forestry is attractive to people to enter and there is not a fear that at the end of premia, there is no other way of looking at their business model, as Mr. Carlin alluded to earlier.