Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste is probably aware of letters from Coillte that were circulated to contractors stating that, for quarter 1 of next year, there may not be work available to them. Those contractors have payments of approximately €150,000 per year and were guaranteed five years' continual work if they bought new machinery.

The Tánaiste is probably also aware that in recent days, pallet manufacturers have said they are running out of timber. To give an example of what is going on, I know of a business in County Roscommon which has made 30 forestry applications. It has been waiting 823 days, 681 days and 713 days for replies to applications but has not got one. The average time it has been waiting for a response for each of these 30 applications is 368 days.

I was in Sligo when Project Ireland 2040 was announced. At that time, it was announced that 440 million trees would be planted. The Government said that it would plant 37,410 ha between 2016 and 2020. A little more than half of that has been planted. We have reached 50% of the target for forest roads. Between 2019 and 2020, felling has fallen by 80% while planting has fallen 50%.

The forestry appeals office received 238 appeals last year but, to date, just 136 have been dealt with. It has received 394 appeals in 2020 but, to date, just two have been sorted. An appeals office has been set up to decide whether a case will go for appeal but the people in this office get €380 for an oral hearing, €240 for a desktop review and €240 if those making the appeal do not turn up. Why then would they throw out an appeal? I know of an application to spread fertiliser made in County Mayo three years ago. Those in the Department have still not answered. The system as it stands is flawed. When one sends in a forestry application, it is a forest service inspector who gets it. These people have no ecological degrees so instead of screening out applications, they are all allowed in. The application must then go through appropriate assessment, an environmental impact assessment and all of the other palaver required under the habitats directive if the area in question is within 15 km of a designated area.

There in an emergency in this regard. Some 12,000 jobs are at risk and contractors who make 150,000 payments a year are about to go bust. I see Deputy Cahill is here. Is the Government willing to give priority to establishing the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine so that an emergency meeting can be held? Is it willing to put a group together with an independent chairperson who knows about or deals in environmental planning? Is it willing to let the parties on each side meet? The Tánaiste will speak about new legislation being introduced. Such legislation will solve nothing in the next three or four months. Will the Government take the steps I have outlined to help the situation, which is dire?

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