Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for their presentation. Ms Hurley said that Coillte's annual harvest programme must be fully licensed by the end of this year but that only 16% of its timber is licensed and available for next year and 2.3 million cu. m of additional material need to be licensed. Does she honestly believe that is going to happen before the end of the year? If the licensing system continues for the rest of the year at its present pace, what will be the impact on the sector and how many jobs will be lost? Is there a difference between how the Natura impact statements are prepared for Coillte applications and for private applications?

Our guests have also spoken about trials of ash strains that are resistant to dieback. From what we have heard here over the past couple of weeks, resistant schemes may be realised in the future but the presentation today gave the impression that we are further along to line towards getting those strains. Where are we with the ash dieback resistant strains? Will our guests also tell me what other measures are being taken to ensure the continuing existence of our native ash species or are we at the end of native ash?

There is a backlog of 2,056 tree-felling licences at the minute, which equates to 7.1 million tonnes of timber. Many of the problems would be solved if people in the Department got their fingers out and started looking after the backlog of licences.