Mr. Tim Cullinan:

Deputy Carthy said that the forestry strategy "has been a failure". He made a couple of good points and is right that it needs to deliver for the environment. The way I look at it is that farmers are the first responders to deliver on the environment, we have done so and we need to be acknowledged for what we have done to date. The Deputy is right that the strategy must be good for the economy and for where people live. In response I would say that one needs to strike a balance and planting needs to be shared in the different regions. We have parts of the country where farmers are willing to plant but they have hen harrier designated land. It is a separate issue but it could be looked at as well to bring balance. In terms of the 1,500 acres, we all agree that where we are is in crisis.

A question was asked about the cost of Ash dieback. It is very hard to give an exact figure but we estimate that between 22,000 and 25,000 hectares of Ash trees have been planted around the country. A lot of that is affected and it will cost to take the wood out. People can harvest what is good but the remainder would have to be taken out. One would have to replant and a farmer would have to be compensated for income foregone in the 15 years while the trees grow again. We estimate that it would cost somewhere in the region of €15 million per year to reconstitute and reach the point of harvest which, in my view, would be money very well spent.

Like Deputy Healy-Rae said about the mix, we have people here whose hardwood planting failed. It is, therefore, critical and essential that compensation is put in place for those people to reconstitute the Ash one.

The people in the county that I come from like Ash trees, and play a bit of ground hurling now and again. I agree 100% with what a member said about our national heritage.

In terms of planting spruce and native broadleaf trees, we all know that there is pressure coming there. Many farmers have an acre or two of areas on their land on which broadleaf trees could be planted. We could also consider planting along hedgerows. Perhaps people, when cutting hedgerows, could leave a number of trees to grow. We all want to play our part in climate change and we have an excellent opportunity here now. I know climate change is a different debate but carbon sequestration is linked to trees.

Farmers are doing and have been doing a public good. That needs to be acknowledged also. We have no problem in stepping up to the plate and doing more on that. We can have integration. Forestry will absolutely help in the climate change debate, and we are willing to do that.

In response to Deputy Healy-Rae's comments, I know Kerry quite well. I spent a good bit of time down there last year. I get what he is saying. This is the legislation we are dealing with. What he said is probably something we could examine. Does Ms O'Sullivan want to comment on that point?