Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Before Mr. Dunne comes in, this CAP programme was delayed for two years. We were in limbo for two years. We were given assurances when this strategy went to Brussels that it would be brought back by return of post. That was 1 January. We are now in the first week in July. We have seen that more questions are being asked by the Commission. It was bad enough to have to wait until 1 January to send in the strategy, but why were all these issues not dealt with in the Commission in the two previous years while we were waiting for the new CAP to start? Now, as the Senator said, a huge amount of money has been put into a forestry programme and there definitely will be no expenditure on it in 2023. There are serious questions to be asked about how we have left ourselves in this position. We have now had two and a half years with no afforestation taking place.