Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for allowing me to come in. I congratulate Mr. Gorman. I met him at the National Ploughing Championships. Well done on your success. I say the same to the other officers. I take an interest in a number of areas in forestry. Even though I am from Waterford, where we do not have the same volume of forestry as other counties, it is very important for the climate and we also have a large board processor in Waterford. On the ash dieback programme, I share Mr. Gorman's disappointment that it has not come to fruition at yet. I understand the Minister is to bring forward recommendations. The committee needs to push that along. I am sure it is doing all that is possible. As Mr. Gorman said, if farmers cannot get recompensed, they are not going to go back into the programme.

I would certainly support the development of a national forestry agency and the task force that the IFA is calling relating to the bark beetle existential threat to the forest industry in Ireland. It is interesting the way we go at things in this country. I said this to one of the other members here earlier. We have people bringing honeybee queens in their pockets into Ireland. They are supposed to be licensed. There is a danger of bringing lice into the honeybee population. We have now, obviously, timber, and we are not 100% sure how well regulated the market is. I worked in the meat industry previously. The witnesses will recall the Government's response when horse meat was found in the supply chain and how it could move on that. I have also seen how independent brokers can move product around. There is a great risk that this beetle will come in here. As they say, what will we do then?

Framing this argument in terms of the impact to farmers is not the way to go. There is a significant economic hit here to the country, and also in terms of the climate action policy. At the end of the day, despite the volume of hardwoods, the majority of trees to be planted under climate action are Sitka spruce. There is no point in planting them if they will be diseased. Maybe the IFA needs to bring that issue up with the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action.

In terms of the temporary suspension to wood - the IFA is saying we have enough timber in the country to supply all comers - it is my understanding that a significant volume of the imported timber goes back out as exported pressed broad, etc. Has the IFA factored in fully the requirement the processors would have if it was decided not to import timber while the task force was being put together?

I am disappointed with the response, but not surprised, by the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, in terms of meeting the IFA and trying to develop the situation from here. We have paid lip service for far too long, both to agriculture and to the climate action plan, with respect to forestry. I would like to see that change.

I am not a member of this committee but I am glad to get the opportunity to make those points. As I say, the IFA needs to move the argument away. This is not solely an agricultural argument. This is a national strategic economic argument and we need to start framing it in that way.