Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the 8,000 ha, which is in the programme for Government, and Senator Paul Daly also mentioned this topic, can the Minister of State give me her view and timeline for when she believes we will reach the 8,000 ha? It is a principle of the programme for Government, which is nearly two years old at this stage. Taking into consideration that the Taoiseach will probably change in the next few months and we are literally going into the second phase of the programme for Government, does the Minister of State believe we will reach that actual target of 8,000 ha planted in the next three years? If so, will she be giving that indication to the nurseries this morning that this is what she believes will happen in the next 30 to 35 months?

Could the Minister of State give us information on the importation of roundwood? I appreciate she may not have the information; I do not want it this morning. Could she inform the committee in her own time of the amount of roundwood being imported into Ireland at the moment? Is she happy with the buyer security that is happening at the ports taking into consideration previous issues regarding biosecurity and what happened with the ash? What does she believe is the long-term plan and timeline for when we will not need to import roundwood? It is in many ways a bizarre scenario that we are importing wood into Ireland with sufficient wood growing that we just cannot harvest. What are the Minister of State's timelines for when there will be no need for roundwood to be imported?

Timelines have continually been mentioned in applications. Is there any process whereby we will have timelines tied into the Department? If a person goes for planning in a local authority, the local authority is tied into a timeline for when it will report. Even when the local authority gives that person further information, there is a timeline again for when the Department responds to him or her. That timeline is in law when it comes to a planning process. It is definitive. One cannot move outside the eight-week process or 28-day process when it comes to further information. When does the Minister of State believe that kind of process will be brought forward in order that we can bring confidence into the sector?