Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I heard the Minister say he wants to engage local communities, small farmers, public bodies and so on. Many people who have spoken this evening, who know more about forestry than I do, have said very clearly that confidence is on the ground. It has gone through it. I know that from talking to constituents. Where do we move from here? If we are to get confidence back into the industry, farmers, landowners and local communities need to know the State is not going to allow Coillte to proceed along the route is has started. They need to know in detail the plans that are being put in place so that Coillte will engage with all the local and regional actors. I do not see the evidence of that. Is that in place now? Will those proposals be put before us or whoever in the next couple of weeks or months? When can we expect to see them? Someone mentioned afforesting Louth twice over. I can assure people that Leitrim is ahead in the queue there. It already is. I can tell the Minister that farmers in County Leitrim, for example, where already about 20% of the county is afforested, cannot buy land because the cost of land for agricultural purposes is prohibitive and they would not dream of buying it for afforestation or even agroforestry, which in my view is the best outcome. If they thought for one second that investment funds, Irish or international, with huge financial heft, backed by the expertise of Coillte were going to be in the same market just down the road from them, they would not touch it. If the Minister is serious about engaging with farmers, local communities and public bodies, can we expect to see the detail of those proposals in the next few weeks or whatever timeframe he or the Minister of State have? How is he turning a very big ship around?