Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the officials for coming in this evening. We listened to representatives from the IFA earlier. To say there is anxiety over this issue would be an understatement. The financial implications of it are huge. Ash dieback stole in behind our backs. There is a clear forewarning now that this is a threat to our forestry sector. There will be no forgiveness if this bark beetle gets a presence in our plantation. Whatever biosecurity measures have to be taken to make sure it is kept out must be take. Mr. Delany is going to come back to the committee before the end of the month, which I appreciate. We will also correspond with the Minister with a summary of today outlining our concerns and what we feel needs to be done.

I am not going to go back over ash dieback. I feel for the farmers with ash dieback. In my time, and I have been involved in representing farmers for a long time, I have never before seen a disease that was outside a farmer's control where compensation was not paid. I cannot comprehend it. This idea that it is against state rules and so forth does not cut the mustard with me. There has to be some mechanism to compensate those forestry owners for 20 to 25 years of growth loss, which is their retirement pot gone into rubble. We have to address this in the interests in fairness and morality. It is wrong that this is something completely outside of their control and they are carrying all the financial loss for it.

I will ask one question, and maybe it is an unfair one. If Mr. Delany thinks it is, I accept if he will not answer it. Mr. Delany is director of forestry. What target does he have for afforestation in 2024, excluding the 1 ha plots, which is not commercial timber?