Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach and the committee members for giving their time today. I accept it has been a challenging two or three years. However, we are now on a much more positive footing and we have a lot to be positive about with the forestry strategy in place and how we go forward. We have a new strategy with the funding in place to back it. The licensing system is also coming into equilibrium. We have the team and resources in place to be able to deal with what is coming down the track.

If one looks at the option that is there for farmers now under that new forestry strategy with those new premiums and compares this year, for example, to where we were last year, farmers applying now for forestry this year will receive up to 66% more in annual premiums than they did this time last year and they will also get those premiums for five years longer than they would have last year. Under the charter, we have in place now and under the systems and the team we have in place, if somebody applies today, he or she will get his or her licence either within six months or nine months depending on whether it needs an environmental assessment.

Obviously, the decision as to whether a farmer plants is open to him or her, but I believe it is our job to put the best possible options to farmers. Forestry now is a really attractive option and we have the systems in place to be able to support farmers who want to do that. In addition, we have also introduced the 1 ha without licensing which applies to two thirds of the agricultural land area in the country for a farmer to be able to do 1 ha and receive, for that 1 ha over ten years, €22,000 tax free.

There are lots of options there. We have come through a very difficult position. The team has worked very hard to get us to this position. The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, has provided very strong leadership around that.

We acknowledge we have a strong job to do in terms of going on the front foot and restoring confidence there, but we have those ingredients and foundations in place now to do that. That has to be our key message now going forward.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity today.