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

When farmers are applying for the single farm payment, they must do so before a certain date. If an inspector comes out and finds something wrong with an application, the farmer can appeal the decision by a certain date. In every other instance one can think of, things have to be done by a particular date. However, the Minister is saying that when it comes to the forestry appeals system, it will be a case of, "Sure, whenever we get to it." From 2016 to 2020, the Department reached only 57% of its target in regard to the processing of applications. There is a problem within the Department the Minister and Minister of State are overseeing, whether they want to believe it or not.

The application process will not be effective without deadlines, dates and timelines for getting things done. I am hearing that there are 2,000 applications ready to go through the door of the Department the minute this legislation goes through. What will happen then? Will it take another 780 days of people drinking tea and fiddling around before deciding whether to accept an application? If we do not put deadlines on the making of decisions, one way or the other, there will be no change. We are not pre-empting anything in our proposal. All we are saying is that a decision should be made within an eight-week period and that whatever extra staffing is required to enable this to happen should be provided. One will need more blocklayers to build ten houses than are needed to build one house. It is the same with appeals; if there are more coming in, then more people are needed to process them.

There is no doubt that there will be more appeals coming in if we go on as we are and do not take a different road. If we keep sending the same application back to the same person, he or she has no choice but to do the same again and away we are on the merry-go-round. It is a very simple thing to know that in any walk of life, there are certain deadlines that must be met. If we put in the resources, we can get the applications through in a reasonable time. It is as simple as that. There is also the opportunity for an oral appeal. Everything is covered within the three months, one way or the other. One is either in or out the gap. The people objecting know where they stand and the people applying for a licence know the same. If we cannot at least do that, given the situation in the forestry industry at the moment, we are failing the people involved.

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