Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I know, but the bit I had is gone now and it has gone very grey.

The latest reports show that planting reached 716 ha this week, or not even 9% of the annual target, halfway through the year. That underperformance highlights the issues. The new forestry programme looks great. There is plenty of colour and it looks fantastic. The website is lovely, but trees are being planted in the wrong places and people who want to plant trees cannot do so. I understand and appreciate the need to plant traditional trees, but forestry has to be commercial.

The commercial timber growers are telling us that there will be an exodus to Scotland if we do not address this. My second question is whether there is any possibility that we will have a review of this forestry programme. It is evidently not working. It has not taken off. I know Mr. Gleeson said it is a case of selling it, but as anybody in horses or agriculture will tell you, you cannot flog a dead horse.