Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and his officials. I have only one thing to come back on, which we discussed over and over during the summer, because other speakers have covered the other issues. The issue I come back to is forestry. In May, we were told forestry and bio-energy had a total of €103.2 million. Now there is €7 million savings there. Is that not saying the licence system has failed to such an extent that there is €7 million left over after this year? To put it in context, we were told in the Dáil that by the end of 2019 more than 1,000 ha of ash dieback had been cleared and was being replanted with alternative species at a cost of €7 million. We are now told that an identical €7 million, the cost of the reconstitution and underplanting scheme, RUS, has been saved. That will drive farmers who have been planting and so on absolutely crazy. Farmers involved in the sector are struggling to cope with a busted licence system. There is no point in calling it anything else because it is just not working.

At the same time, we are seeking to improve our carbon storage abilities and increase the spread of woodland. Should we not make every effort so that the Department spends that money in that sector every year? Does the Minister expect to come back to the committee this time next year with the same story? We had a good organisation in at the last meeting looking for funding and a letter went out. Does the Minister remember the husband and wife? They are looking for money. The Minister might pass on some of that €7 million to them.