Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I confirm that I am in LH2000. I would like to revisit some of the responses given to Deputy Fitzmaurice, which I do not accept. We are going nowhere if that is the quality of responses we are going to be given. It was stated that the number has been reduced from 4,700 to 4,500 since October. Like Deputy Fitzmaurice, while Deputy Kehoe was speaking I did the sums. Giving the Department the benefit of the doubt at every corner by rounding off to its advantage, it is going to take 5.35 years before we reach parity. If we are to reach anywhere near 8,000 ha, the volume of afforestation applications which are due to come in to meet that target will have to increase. I do not accept the answer given.

There is a further question posed by Deputy Fitzmaurice in respect of which I do not accept the answer, that is, how long it takes for a licence to get through the system. With the permission of Deputy Fitzmaurice, I will rephrase that question. What is the target set by the Department for the length of time it should take for a licence to go through the system? I ask the witnesses to please not respond to the effect that the Department does not set targets. Without targets, nothing can be achieved. I would like those questions to be answered more definitively.

I would also like to comment on the statement that the Department is now prioritising by volume. In my opinion, that discriminates against small individual holdings because by virtue of the size of volume the large international operators and Coillte will have the largest volumes. If that is now our philosophy, we are heading for a major car crash. If we are cherry-picking large volume to keep the industry supplied with timber, then when we run out of large applications and have to return to the small ones we will be faced with a major shortfall in the supply of timber to businesses down the line. It will be on record that the Department was the cause of that, if that is the approach it is taking.

I have a final question in regard to ash dieback, in respect of which I would welcome a brief comment from the witnesses. The opening statement states that over 250 applications have been submitted and that the Department has communicated directly with the majority of the applicants and the remainder will receive notification this week. I would like clarification on whether that communication is just an acknowledge of receipt or if any action is being taken. I have been contacted by a number of people who have applied for the reconstitution and underplanting scheme, RUS, and have received only an acknowledgement of that application. There has been no action and there does not appear to be any plan of action for them going forward.