Mr. Jason Fleming:

It is also a two-way street but at the moment it seems to be all one-way. It seems to be all about farmers trying to engage with the Department but the Department not engaging back, especially with regard to licensing, over the past three or four years. Coillte is getting its applications processed within four months, which is within the departmental guidelines, while farmers could wait for four years. That is the reality and that was happening when timber prices were never as high. Now our licences are trickling out but the price has stalled and dropped by 20% to 30%. Where are we going, especially with these investment funds? Coillte seems to be able to do whatever it wants and farmers seem to be in the back seat. What the Minister and the Department should support here is farmers planting. They should support us and engage with us. We did plant previously. In 2013, we met the targets and planted more than 6,000 hectares. In 2016, 6,500 hectares were planted but that dropped to 2,000 in 2021. We must be supported properly and engaged with. We are planting and have no problem doing that but we are not getting the support we need.