Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Despite the backdrop, I am in the west so I apologise for that, but this is important and therefore I wanted to link in to this meeting remotely.

I thank Mr. Cassidy and Mr. Smyth from Save. I am very familiar with them. I have travelled to Leitrim on many occasions and walked many of these farms and forests. I have talked to the communities up there, and I continue to actively engage with them and their public representatives. Three things come out of this for me. I fully support the Save community organisation and the people on the ground up there whose key issue is sustainable communities, proper planning and sustainable development. Given our remit, the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, must look at how we support them. Most committee members represent rural constituencies and rural communities and it is important to emphasise that we must stand in solidarity with communities that wish to see their community develop in a sustainable manner.

The key ask here is if we are supportive of a plan. We need a land-use plan and there must be a balance between forestry, agriculture, tourism and other sustainable development, but there must also be support for the communities in the area. I hear loud and clear from Mr. Cassidy and Mr. Smyth and others that this is what they want to protect. They want a balance in terms of development.

I am interested in hearing some more evidence about the relationship with the organisations and Coillte itself in terms of ongoing consultation and negotiation and how it is receiving their concerns. Coillte is a State agency. There is also the private sector, which in many ways is a different animal. State aid exemption was touched on here this morning. Clearly, that is distorting the market. I accept what you say, a Chathaoirligh, about people's property rights, but we have bigger rights also, such as community rights, sustainability and commitments to regional development.

I would like the witnesses today to talk about their relationship with the county councils in Leitrim and Cavan in terms of the county development plan, whose objective is clearly to set out proper planning and sustainable development for their communities. What is their relationship with the local authorities? Have they endeavoured to make submissions to those development plans? How have they progressed? Have they been meaningful? Have they been well received by the executive of those councils and the elected members? I hear what the witnesses are saying. I have been in Leitrim in particular and seen what has happened. There is devastation.

Before I finish my questions I want to tell this story. I spoke a few years ago to a man whose three sons decided they wanted to buy 15 acres up on the hill. They went to the bank and the bank manager said, forget it lads, you are not going to get funding for this because I am already aware that some forestry company wants to purchase it and you will not compete with them. He said, whatever you want to pay, they will outbid you for it. That is devastating in itself. They were people trying to expand their small agricultural holding by 15 acres and they were told they would be up against a private forestry company and competing with it. That is the reality on the ground and that is not acceptable. That is not good enough.

I have three questions. Could the witnesses touch on their campaign in terms of seeking to have a land-use plan that gives balance to all conflicting demands or ambitions? Could they expand on their relationship with Coillte? Could they share with us how that has gone? What is the difference between the relationship with Coillte as a State forestry company versus other forestry companies? I say well done to the witnesses. They should keep going. I will give them one little bit of advice: they should keep the pressure on their elected representatives in Dáil Éireann and for that matter, their Senators in Seanad Éireann and sitting county councillors. They are there to represent people and their concerns and the interests of the community and the organisations in it. The witnesses are on the right road. They are doing something that is important for their community and ultimately it is about proper planning and sustainable development for their area. I commend them on that.