Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I live in Kilbeggan, in the midlands. I come up the M6 and the M4. In recent months, it has been very noticeable to me that I meet all the loads of logs coming in from Scotland, and now I have been informed, in the earlier part of this meeting, that from here on in, I will meet loads of peat. While it is not Mr. Lucas's fault personally, can he not see the irony of this? I read the Department's submission and read about the first review and the number of Departments that were included in undertaking the review. Then I turn the page and read that the outcome of that initial review was to set up another working group or review group. Can Mr. Lucas not see from all this why people would be disillusioned and how probably the biggest problem we have here when it comes to climate change and making progress is bringing the community with us? I am referring to the general community, the agricultural community, the horticultural sector and the people who have vested interests. From what I see here, there are so many Departments involved that nobody really knows what is going on. What we are witnessing is delusional. As I said, on the road in the morning I meet loads of timber, and now I will meet loads of peat coming from Scotland. We all admit there are climate problems but climate is a global thing, so why is it allowable and seemingly acceptable by Departments that we import peat from another country, harvested in another country, with a much bigger carbon footprint? I know that in his answer Mr. Lucas will probably say this is not within the Department's remit, but that in essence highlights the point I am making. When will all these Departments bang their heads together, come up with a common-sense approach and start sending out a message which the people can accept and which will bring them along with us? We are losing the people and the different sectors at every juncture and crossroads because of mismanagement and miscommunication.