Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this scheme. Whatever scheme the Minister and his officials are introducing, it must be simplified. I agree with the previous speakers. If the scheme is going to be complicated it is not going to happen. I must be honest. I was recently talking to somebody who was waiting three years to plant. The Department, to be fair, granted the application but it was lost on appeal. The Minister and his officials are serious but how then is it there was an appeal mechanism for land that was quite capable of being planted? There were objections but if we are going to leave room for objections even to a single hectare then we are going to have problems. People must be encouraged. The forestry industry is on its knees. In a few years we will not have the supply of timber and jobs in the industry, if we do not do something at this stage. We have failed over the past year to implement the planting that we need and the licensing for people to fell their trees. I am aware it has improved. I must give credit where it is due; when it improves, it improves. The Department worked hard on trying to get the licences approved.

My point is simple. If the Minister and his officials are bringing this scheme in and they are serious about it, they should not let it be destroyed before it starts by virtue of the way they draw it up. That is the only thing I ask.