Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister and the Minister of State give a commitment - I know they are committed to forestry - that they and their officials will implement a proper advertising campaign to try to encourage more farmers to plant trees? It should explain to them, as was explained to us this evening, the benefits of it. If the Department has to bring in a new initiative to try to encourage farmers to plant trees, will it do so? It is important that we have a very strong campaign to push forward in order to show farmers that there is a reward for planting. This should be a very strong campaign that includes the Irish Farmers' Journal, the farming section of the Irish Independentand so on, and even a television campaign to encourage farmers. I ask the Minister and the Minister of State to do that in order to encourage them. More and more farmers will then take up planting. The Department must put the initiatives and the rewards in place, make it easier and not complicate it. That is what we have done in this country. We have complicated every single scheme we ever had. It should be simplified. I know balances and checks are needed but there are over-balances and over-checks. We also need to have a little balance and checks in respect of the Department.