Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
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I agree with the Minister of State’s objective of making it easier for people to get into forestry because we need to attract people into forestry. How does this Bill simplify the process? What red tape does it remove? What is removed from a previous Act that this Bill repeals to make it easier to get into forestry? I would love to think I was part of a Dáil that made it easier to get into forestry. I fear, however, that I will only make it easier for the departmental officials to make it more difficult for people to get into forestry, while reducing their own workload by transferring it to the farmers who might decide to do this in the future but, more important, to those who have made the decision. They are stuck. The officials are not stuck. They can try to change the law. If one has planted one’s land, one is stuck with whatever comes down the track. If we introduce a Bill that makes it more difficult for those people, then their neighbours, who might have considered getting into forestry will walk away from it. How does the Bill make it easier for those people? The Minister of State may not have the answer to hand but we should discuss it on Report Stage.