Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I will be brief as many of my questions have been covered in the earlier exchanges. Based on what I have heard in the two presentations, I would not be very familiar with the issues involved. When does the famous contract terminate? One would imagine it is a one-cycle contract that ends after the clearfell. If that is the case, why are we being told that some of the contracts contain an obligation to replant at the expense and responsibility of the farm partner? If that is not true and if the contract terminates at the end of the clearfell, does Coillte just walk away or is there anything in any of the contracts in the context of returning the ground to its original condition before any trees were planted, similar to the conditions relating to most planning permissions? I suppose that applies down the line in light of the duration involved and the fact that we have not reached the end point. What is the position? We have been informed it is in the contracts that the farm partners have to replant at their own expense and cost? I would like to have that clarified. If that is not in the contract, what are the termination clauses and what is the timescale involved? Although the witnesses said the timescale changes because of improved growth, when the contract was originally drawn up, and allowing for the predicted growth time at that stage, what were the terminating clauses?