Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief because I have other questions for later in the session. Coillte, because it is so big, is probably being more adversely affected by Covid-19 than our ordinary rank and file farmers, investors and people who just want to grow trees, get on and get them processed. At the moment, there are 20 million plants available in one nursery, as our guests know, and another 10 million, which amounts to 30 million plants available for use in Ireland right now. The Department is not engaging with the suppliers of those plants at all. Scotland is in contact with our nurseries and is looking to take those 30 million plants. It is great to have an airing, such as this, to debate the whole matter in an honest and straightforward fashion. What does Coillte think of that type of a situation? Our guests, in the positions that they hold, certainly have much to say about the way the whole system is being run into the ground. That is what is happening at present. Our forestry sector is being run into the ground. It is not the fault of our guests but by their attendance today, we are looking on them as allies to support us in saying this has to stop and change. Scotland is looking to buy 30 million plants because it knows they are there and our people, who are charged with the issuing of licences and the people in the Department, are not being proactive or workpersonlike enough to deal with the problems that we have. What would be the view of our guests? I have many questions to ask later on and I would like to come back in, but I wanted to ask that one question to get an overview of Coillte's feelings on that aspect of where we are going.