Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this legislation. I wish the Minister of State the best of luck with steering it through the House. This is his maiden legislation as an Aire Stáit and I am sure that it is the first of many Bills that he will handle. We all need to remember our former colleague in the House, Shane McEntee, particularly at this time of the year. Our thoughts are with the McEntee family on the difficult anniversary that is approaching and with the many families in similar circumstances.

I welcome the Government's decision earlier this year on the sale of Coillte. Quite a number of complex issues were raised on foot of the potential disposal of Coillte lands. I am glad that the Government listened to contributions made within and without the Houses, took those concerns on board and made its decision. It is important that we acknowledge this fact. Far too often, Ministers are not prepared to listen to other opinions and bull-headedly proceed with particular decisions. One of the main issues that arose was that of public access. It was also raised in the UK in respect of the potential disposal of its state forestry.

Now that a decision has been taken, we cannot ignore the forestry sector's considerable potential. Many of the contributions in the House have been focused on the forestry industry and the Minister of State's focus is on the commercial aspects, but there is considerable tourism and recreational potential. In fairness to Coillte, it has made efforts in this regard. The example that springs to mind is Lough Key Forest Park in my constituency. Ballyhoura is another great example of where Coillte has opened up forestry. That said, much more can be done to expand the tourism sector. According to a study conducted by the Irish Forestry and Forest Products Association, IFFPA, tourism activity in forests is valued at approximately €97 million and generates downstream activity of €268 million per annum. We have an ideal climate for this type of outdoor activity. Coillte owns a large landbank. While it has been proactive in developing some of its forest assets, others have been ignored. The sector needs additional focus.

I tabled a proposal to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, on establishing a national wetland park in the midlands. There will be greater co-ordination and co-operation between Coillte and Bord na Móna, which together have a massive landbank. Bord na Móna's large cutaway bog in the Mountdillon complex in west Longford-east Roscommon is surplus to requirements. If that bog of approximately 18,000 acres was allowed to be flooded naturally, it would make for a large bio-park in the midlands and would be a major amenity to a part of the country that did not see a significant amount of economic development during the boom except for housing developments. We have plenty of houses and no one to live in them.

There is no other purpose for the 18,000 acres of cutaway bog. One has not even been suggested. Many of the villages around that landbank have a large number of vacant houses that were developed under the Shannon tax corridor scheme. These could easily be marked as part of a tourism package involving outdoor activities, for example, walking, cycling, horse riding, etc. This would help to unlock many of the completed ghost estates while developing a major international tourism asset in the middle of the country on either side of the River Shannon.

I make this proposal in the context of our debate because Coillte's Slieve Bawn adjoins the 18,000 acres of cutaway bog. It is the only significant hill or mountain in the middle of County Roscommon. There has been a great deal of controversy recently, though, as Coillte has sought planning permission to develop wind turbines on Slieve Bawn. Since it is an exposed site in the middle of the country, there would be a visual impact on the entire region. We need greater co-operation between Coillte and Bord na Móna in the development of the site as a strategic tourism asset, one that could help to ensure that people occupy those vacant houses, at least on a seasonal basis. Walking tourism is a growing market internationally. We have a perfect climate to attract people. With a bit of co-ordination, we could also have plenty of accommodation for them.

It would not take a significant investment to open up the landbank, as there is a network of old roads and cart tracks across bogs, as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle knows well. There is also the old permanent rail track that was used to service the power station at Lanesborough. Interestingly, UCD worked with the local communities on both sides of the River Shannon to conduct a feasibility study. The proposal has the support of both local authorities. I hope that someone in government will take ownership of it and drive it forward, but no one seems to be prepared to do so. No other purpose is available to that landbank and it could act as a major tourism asset that would attract people to a part of the country that has not seen its tourism sector developed to its full potential. This would also be of significant benefit to the rest of the country, as people who visit the midlands also visit the north, south, east and west of the country.

I have encountered an issue. We have a fabulous asset in Mote Park outside Roscommon town, where Coillte has developed a number of walks. It is a great public amenity. However, I have a concern about obligatory replanting. I understand the Government's logic and the merit of including this provision in the legislation, particularly where people have private lands that they do not want to commit to a particular land use in perpetuity. Regarding State lands controlled by Coillte, though, I do not see why there should not continue to be obligatory replanting. There has been no effort to replant in my part of the country where clear felling took place a number of years ago.

My fear is that Coillte is looking at this as an opt-out clause in order that it does not have to undertake replanting. Coillte should at least ensure that where clear felling has taken place on State lands, they should be replanted without delay in the interests of developing such areas as public amenities and long-term strategic assets. There are economic benefits to be gained from forestry and it is to be hoped this legislation will provide an incentive for further plantation because we have hit less than 50% of our targets.

Many forest areas are in parts of the country that have been designated as disadvantaged areas where lands are marginal. Forestry can provide a guaranteed income stream to many farming families in such areas. We should encourage such developments to take place. Not only does forestry contribute directly to the economic survival of some rural families but it can stimulate employment. It is estimated that employment could be increased by about 38,000 by 2025 if the private forestry sector is supported in attaining the Government's afforestation and timber targets. It is imperative for us to ensure that happens.

Many farmers are wondering if funding will remain in place in the long term, which is a concern. Negotiations are taking place on how to allocate the cake for the single farm payment and Pillar 1 funding. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has made submissions concerning Pillar 2 funding to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin. I would be concerned if we were looking at anything less than an equal 50-50 split for the Government's co-financing of Pillar 2.

The Government is to be commended on the creation of new jobs. Yesterday's CEO figures show that of the 58,000 new jobs created, some 25,000 or 43% of them have been in the agricultural sector. No other economic sector provides a 3:1 return on investment. Because we are a small open economy, much expenditure is lost abroad, but the agri-sector creates an economic stimulus without any such leakage outside the country. In addition, such expenditure in the agrifood area remains largely in rural areas.

The vast bulk of jobs created outside the agricultural areas have been in the Dublin area. Dublin is a different world from the rest of the country at the moment because it is thriving, but many rural towns have been decimated. The ones that are surviving best are those based on a surrounding agricultural hinterland. If State funding is reduced in Pillar 2 and co-financing is on a 30% or 35% basis rather than 50%, we will be taking about €1 billion out of the rural economy over the next seven years. That will have a devastating impact on many rural businesses, including the agrifood trade that relies on such expenditure.

In my part of the country there is a lot of Pillar 2 funding from the rural environment protection and suckler cow welfare schemes. Many businesses rely on that money coming in. We have seen a significant fall-off in that funding this year and I fear that, in the longer term, we will see a levelling out of funding based on a 2013 benchmark rather than a maximising of the amount of money that could potentially be spent under Pillar 2 funding. There is a significant economic dividend involved in that process. I hope the Minister's proposal will be for 50-50 funding. Given yesterday's CSO figures, it is imperative to maximise this opportunity.

In my part of the country we do not have a large amount of tillage but where it does occur, bees are very important. There is a major problem with the decline of the bee population, not just in Ireland but elsewhere in Europe also. The economic significance of bees in the agricultural sphere cannot be underestimated. We are facing challenges from that decline but Coillte has a widespread land bank. Forests are ideal locations for beehives, so the Minister of State should actively encourage them throughout Coillte's land. This is not happening in the private sector and I cannot see us introducing grants for beehives. Perhaps in a few years time we will have a ten and 22-month premium for beehives. I would love to see the departmental officials punching the bees for that one.

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