Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their submission. It should not have taken this long to see a report in this regard. This issue has dragged on and on, and I am sure it is very frustrating for the members of the organisation to be here for a fourth time. I commend the Cathaoirleach of this committee, Deputy Cahill, who has allocated a great deal of time to forestry. We need to work cross-party in a constructive manner to try to address this issue once and for all. Would it be possible to have a cross-party briefing, or meeting, with the Minister with responsibility in this area? I say this because this situation just cannot go on. It is frustrating and disappointing to see that the Minister, the Minister of State and the Department have not reached out to the people affected. Mention has been made of a task force. Yet approximately five weeks after the report recommended that, no one has been in contact, as I understand it, with the group. This is worrying, and I ask that a cross-party meeting or briefing be organised with the Minister or Minister of State. This committee works well together and there is consensus on these issues. This is to be welcomed.

I am also very concerned. I have many constituents affected directly by this problem and who are suffering major financial losses. We hear so much talk about biodiversity and protecting it and ecosystems. What about the damage, however, being done to habitats and ecosystems with this problem of ash dieback? Where is the concern in this regard? I feel there should be much more concern and certainly much more urgency. We must see assistance given to the 6,000 people affected by this issue. There must be some form of a straightforward and common-sense approach in terms of the removal of the trees affected by ash dieback. It is posing a danger. Obviously, these ash trees are rotting away. They must be removed, and there must be a practical, common-sense solution found to this issue once and for all. I call for this to be done today.

I fully support and sympathise with the people affected. I understand how frustrated they must be. There must be urgency to this matter. It has dragged on and on. Urgency must also be given to providing compensation to the affected people to restore the confidence in our forestry sector that has been badly shaken. This is a sector that once supported 10,000 jobs. I understand this figure has now dropped to 8,000 people employed in the sector. Again, this is worrying and poses questions. It shows that damage is being done. There must be a sense of urgency regarding this matter. I support a proposal to meet the Minister. He has been here several times but such a meeting must happen again. We need to see a sense of urgency in dealing with this issue.