Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the presentations. They are preaching to the converted on this issue. In 2017, I went to the Department when I saw this coming. Unfortunately, it was all bluster and promises, but nothing happened.

With regard to the Mackinnon report, have the witnesses had any contact with the Department or Ministers? My understanding was that the previous Minister had put it out to tender, whatever system was used. It is also my understanding that someone was ready to be appointed. Deputy Sean Sherlock tabled a parliamentary question a couple of weeks ago about the Mackinnon report and its implementation. The response that came back, although I will not quote it verbatim, basically stated that, where feasible, the Department would implement it. My understanding is that a person was to be appointed and that person was going to take on the role of implementing a strategy, to which the witnesses have just referred. Is it of concern to Forest Industries Ireland that this answer came back? Does it have meetings with representatives of the forestry sector? Mr. O'Brien talked about the soft figures, some of which were approximately 50% less. Has that continued since we passed the new legislation?

I will not say I was misled because I said from day one that we have a problem. We can blame everybody in the whole world, and we can blame people for objecting, and I am no admirer of them. However, at the end of the day, we have a Department that for the past ten years, and especially the past four years, has never achieved the targets set out. There is a major problem. The Mackinnon report states very clearly that the morale of the forestry inspectors within the Department is gone. We can have all the meetings in the world, and we have dealt with forestry on three or four different days, but unless there is change in the Department, we are not going to solve anything. We cannot keep playing the same tune and expect a different result.

The committee has to be blunt on this. If we have spent three years on it and the whole thing is going from bad to worse, which it is, then a Minister has to intervene. If people are not fit for purpose in their positions, they have to be given an alternative job, and that has to be spelled out clearly.