William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)

I have one question about the ORIS. I also thank the Minister for his work on the islands. You might wonder why I am asking a question about the islands but my sister lives in Clifden and she continuously tells me about her work out on Inishbofin. They greatly appreciate what is being done.

I have a question from the following point of view about the ORIS. I thank the Minister for giving us €50,000 for two projects and a feasibility study in County Laois. One of them is a project I am trying to get going, namely, the O'Moore Way, as we are calling it, just outside Portlaoise. I have spoken to the Minister about it. It is very important. I want to acknowledge very publicly what Coillte is doing and how Coillte is very encouraging to the public and allowing them the use of their facilities. As people say to me, they discovered woods in and around County Laois during Covid they never knew existed. It has really escalated since Covid and it is lovely to see it. There are reasons behind that as well. It is very difficult for a parent or parents with small children to walk in urban areas at the moment because of the amount of traffic. It is really welcome.

We hope to have Bord na Móna in here. It is very important that Bord na Móna do likewise. There was a lot of infrastructure in our bogs over the past 50 and 60 years because of the amount of peat that was taken away from our bogs. There were ordinary railway lines within those for moving the peat into the factories. They are in situ and I ask Bord na Móna to co-operate with committees that are out there and willing to give up their time to promote these projects, with the Minister's Department's funding, and that we please put these in place. The problem I have - there is no point saying it is not - is waiting for the overall development of bogs. With the number of bogs we have in this country, it will take years and years to develop it in whatever way they are going to do it now in diversifying them into wind farms, solar farms or whatever it is. In the meantime, the infrastructure that is in the bogs that can be used should be used and I encourage the Government to talk with Bord na Móna about it. All the peat is gone so we are not going back there again. There is natural infrastructure there that the public is crying out to use and it is an awful pity we cannot progress it without having to wait for the overall plans of what Bord na Móna wants to do.