Mr. Francis Cassidy:

A number of issues arise there. I will take them in rotation. First, gabhaim buíochas for the support. We welcome the support from all elected representatives and all bodies. We will talk about county councils and planning first. That is a strange one in that we have lobbied in each county for the inclusion of a proper land-use policy and forestry policy in each county development plan, but central government overrides the county development plans on a regular basis. It says this is Government policy and we are going to plant this land regardless of how many paragraphs there are in a county development plan.

It is a strange situation that Cavan County Council, Leitrim County Council and Kerry County Council can say a person cannot have 5 ft. windows in their bungalow, but if they are reduced to 3 ft. they will give planning permission while the person next door who is planting 49 ha does not need any approval. He can get a licence to plant 49 ha with very little oversight. There seems to be something intrinsically wrong in that situation. The entire visual landscape of the side of a mountain, hill or plateau will be changed by the planting of 49 ha and only a licence from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is needed. At the same time, the young couple next door who is building a bungalow cannot put 5 ft. wide windows in it.

They have to reduce them by 3 ft. or they have to change them, or they are only allowed one driveway into their house or whatever. There is something wrong there.

In regard to Coillte, the private companies and consultation, we only wish there was consultation. There is no consultation. The consultation is a business card in the letter box of an elderly lady. The consultation is ringing you up and saying we have bought the farm next door to you, we are going to plant it, we have the licence or we have applied for the licence and if you are not happy, we will plant three rows of beech on the outside as opposed to two. There is no consultation.