Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Department the very best of luck with it. As has been said this evening, however, confidence is at such a low ebb. We have to start rebuilding confidence. Ash dieback is to me one of the cornerstones of rebuilding that confidence. To show that there is a mechanism for conversation for farmers would be one of the cornerstones. Biosecurity, again, to get confidence that we are doing everything possible to keep this bark beetle out, is going to be key as well. Anyone who is planting now is doing something for the next 25 to 30 years. We have to be sure we can keep this pest under control.

I move the adjournment and thank the witnesses. The next public meeting of the committee will be at 5.30 p.m. on 24 January when the members will examine the deepening crisis of the inshore fishing industry in Ireland and give consideration to COM (2023) 495, COM (2023) 578 and COM (2023) 587.