Mr. Colm Hayes:

I repeat that we fully recognise that progress over recent months has been uneven. I go back to the original point. The conversion rate is a concern and the sector has just under 5,000 ha available to it now, but I appreciate not all landowners may want to go ahead with a licence that has been received. However, it is there and it has gone through the system. It behoves us all to ensure that every licence application that comes in is a viable one. In proportional terms, we received 3,300 applications last year. We get about double the amount in felling that we get in afforestation. We are not going to get a one-for-one output. The Deputy is correct to point out that afforestation has been a bit behind the curve. It is a concern to us because we are well aware of the Government's commitments and afforestation targets. Nobody wants to see a 2021 that is like 2020. That is absolutely sure. We will do everything we can to make sure that is not the case.