Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for coming in. I also thank his staff in Agriculture House, and I wish Mr. Conroy the best of luck in his new position. I ask the Minister to be blunt and straight with us and to give it to us as it is. There would be a lot of appreciation for that approach.

To pick up on one thing with the Minister, early on he spoke about forestry. He said many more licences were issued than have been picked up on. The Minister mentioned approximately 5,000 ha or 6,000 ha. I know, the Minister knows and the dog in the street knows that some of these go back three, four and five years. The Minister brought in the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, and other things farmers did not wait around for and will not wait around for. This is the reason these are not being picked up on. The Minister has a job at hand. I do not envy him given the 8,000 ha figure he is looking at, no matter what scheme he brings out. I refer to bringing a bit of confidence back to this area after what has gone on. I know there were issues with licensing and all that.

The Minister spoke of €28,000 being available on a new scheme, when the planting grant and everything else is added together. This is a 100-year project that farmers are giving up their hectares for and this aspect needs to be recognised. If hardwoods are planted in a hectare, then the farmer gets the €28,000. The Minister is 100% right about this. Adding the €22,000 to the €6,000 means the whole lot works out at €28,000. The farmer, though, will never see the hectare again, nor will the next two generations. Who will have the carbon credits off this forestry?