Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise, I was at a budgetary meeting next door. I warmly welcome the deputation. I congratulate Mr. Gorman who is the 17th president of the association and wish him every good luck and success. I look forward to working with him in the best way possible - in a proactive and solid way - during his term. I thank him for being here. It is very timely.

The whole issue with what is happening is the lack of concern by the Government and the Department about the threat posed by the bark beetle. I thank the IFA for being out in front with its concern on behalf of farmers. I thank Mr. Jason Fleming, in particular, for his dogged determination in representing people who are in the forestry sector and want to be in the forestry sector but because of inaction on the part of the Government and the Department are unable to do so. There would nearly want to be something wrong with someone who says they want to plant a forestry. They would want to get their head examined because the people who are there see the obstacles, red tape and bureaucracy they will be put up against. Why would anybody want to draw that on themselves? I thank Mr. Fleming and everybody else on the team for their determination in this regard.

I would listen very strongly to the whole notion of a suspension of importation for fear of what road it could lead us down. Many months ago, working with Mr. Fleming, I put parliamentary questions forward raising this issue, in case the Minister had not heard about it. Sometimes they have to be told things or they do things that they should know. They are still asleep at the wheel. The total disregard the Minister and the Department are showing the forestry sector is astounding. I thank the Chairman of the committee for always being on the side of the farmer and the side of the people who would like to see their forests protected and get their licences in a timely fashion. He uses his role here very well and I compliment him for that.

Having said all of that, somebody would want to try to get them to wake up. I hope that as a result of the IFA being here this evening, the message will get back because it needs to, very strongly. When I was doing clinics at one time I would meet people who would talk about forestry being an option. To be honest, nobody is talking about forestry now. When land comes up for sale now, there are restrictions with regard to the amount of peat that must be on it and all of that. There are many hurdles in our way now. It is impossible to plant. It is not attractive to plant. Anybody who thinks it is attractive is only codding themselves. There has to be a big shake-up. I do not know what the future will bring. I am glad that the IFA is there and that they have sound people representing the forestry sector. I am glad of that because when it comes to forestry, sound people are scarce.