Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I am pleased to learn that we will be self-sufficient in ash by 2020. The idea that it will be necessary to use plastic hurleys in Croke Park is repugnant. However, we may still be able to beat the opposition, even with plastic hurleys.

I was contacted by a concerned constituent who owns a sizeable ash plantation of 46 acres. Planted in 1992, it has been described by Teagasc as one of the largest broadleaf forests in the country. Are plans in place to compensate such farmers in the event that it becomes necessary to destroy their forests?

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