Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of the second session of today's meeting is to examine the report of the independent review group into the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's response to ash dieback. The committee will hear from representatives from Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners, LTWO: Mr. Simon White, chairman, Mr. John O’Connell, vice chairman, and Ms Maura Duggan, secretary. They are all very welcome to this evening's session. The opening statement has been circulated to all members.

It is with regret that we have the witnesses back this evening because this saga has gone on for far too long. One thing I cannot get my head around is that we have to have state aid rules to give financial compensation to people affected by ash dieback. I cannot comprehend that or what the rationale behind it is to say that people would get the premium and that would involve state aid capacity. We might take it in comparison with the cattle herds. Cattle herds qualified for premium but farmers were stopped from getting TB compensation. That is one thing I cannot understand.

I want to compliment the witnesses. They really kept the fire burning on this issue. Hopefully, we will eventually get to a satisfactory resolution of the plight people have suffered. I am on the record as saying that I have never before seen farmers with such disease devastation entering their crops and farmlands and who have had access to compensation. I ask the chairman to give his opening statement and then I will open up the floor to the members.