Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We discussed this matter a number of weeks ago from a different perspective. Forestry policy is a complete and utter mess and an embarrassment. There are no winners because nothing is working. Until this issue is resolved, anyone who wants to plant will run a mile. Over the past number of weeks, I have said in the Dáil that perhaps only 2,000 ha will be planted. The Government's target is 8,000 ha. That is proof of how bad things are at present. An amnesty may be a simple solution for the 2,000 people who are seeking felling licences. If there is an issue with the Department and it has not been able to deal with it, an amnesty is the way forward. The board should be cleared and things should start anew.

The forest of a lady in west Cork was knocked down by a storm and is rotting on the ground. She cannot get a licence. That is how wrong the system is.

Obviously, there is concern about the threat to more than 500 jobs in the sector in west Cork, including in sawmills such as GP Wood and Grainger's. These workers are geographically spread throughout west Cork from Enniskean suppliers in Ballineen all the way to Schull. Their jobs are in danger. We must focus on those companies and on those who are supplying the product. A simple solution would be an amnesty. It would not please everybody but the people on the ground who are suffering should not be allowed to continue to suffer. Companies such as GP Wood and others would at least have some solution and then the issue could be tackled moving on from that. That is my proposal.