Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This forestry Bill aims to speed up the appeals process that has been clogged for the past year and more. The position with delayed applications and appeals was allowed to fester by the previous Government and it really needs to be tackled so we can get planting and felling moving once again.

The supply of timber has been dwindling and jobs are very much at risk locally. For example, in Lissarda people have been put on a three-day week and many harvesters have been parked throughout the summer around me.

The vast bulk of farmers would plant less than 10 ha. They have been waiting for approval to plant and are very concerned that the season will slip away from them. I also draw the Minister of State's attention to the fact that planting is not equally distributed throughout the country. There are large tracts of plantations in many areas, such as north and west Cork. The Minister of State needs to look at ways to distribute planting much more widely across the country so the same areas are not planted more and more intensively.

Tá an Bille seo dírithe ar an gcóras achomhairc foraoise a fheabhsú. Tá an córas seo tar éis a bheith plódaithe le breis agus bliain anuas sa slí nach bhfuil beagnach aon cheadúnas á scaoileadh. D'fhág an Rialtas deireanach an phraiseach seo ina dhiaidh agus is maith an rud é go bhfuil an tAire Stáit ag dul i ngleic léi. Tá géarghá an córas ceadúnais seo a fheabhsú agus chun na ceadúnais seo a scaoileadh arís chun go mbeadh daoine ábalta crainn a chur agus a leagan. Toisc an easpa adhmaid, tá baol dífhostaíochta i mo cheantar. Feicimid i Lios Ardachaidh an tslí go bhfuil an obair ag laghdú ar dhaoine agus go bhfuil innealra fágtha díomhaoin ar feadh tamaill i rith an tsamhraidh. Anuas air sin, tá feirmeoirí ann atá ag feitheamh le ceadúnais chun crainn a chur. Go minic leis na feirmeoirí seo, is plásóg beag le thart ar 10 ha a bheadh ann de ghnáth. Tá siadsan ag faire ar an tslí go bhfuil an córas plódaithe agus an séasúr ag sleamhnú uathu. Is maith an rud é mar sin go bhfuil an tAire Stáit ag tabhairt ar aghaidh an feabhas seo.

Chomh maith leis sin, teastaíonn uaim díriú isteach ar an tslí go bhfuil na crainn seo go léir á gcur agus is minic go bhfuil seo dírithe isteach ar chúpla ceantar faoi leith. I mo cheantar i gCorcaigh Thiar Thuaidh, tá an-chuid plandáil ann le roinnt blianta anuas. Tá sé fíor-thábhachtach go mbeadh an deis ann crainn a chur i ngach ceantar ar fud na tíre agus nach mbeadh siad go léir brúite isteach sa cheantar céanna arís agus arís eile.

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