Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I regret that the Minister of State's response clearly implies that out of the 111 amendments that were put before her by this House in respect of this Bill, not a single one will be accepted by the Government because the Minister and the Minister of State have been asked on a number of occasions to clarify whether there are any amendments they are willing to accept. I reiterate my assertion that this is incredibly disappointing. It shows a bad faith approach, not by the Minister of State because I accept that she is new to this and she wants to get this legislation over the line, but the Department has failed in forestry.

The reason this legislation has been brought forward at the eleventh hour is the Department has been incompetent when it comes to dealing with this issue. Did the officials in the Department not know a year ago what everybody else knew? Is there not somebody in the Department who reads the Irish Farmers' Journal, if for nothing else than to see whether there is an issue coming down the line? I sometimes wonder about that because when we table parliamentary questions in respect of issues that are being raised by farmers, the first instinct of the Department is to deny there is any issue at all. The Department always waits until we have no fodder, prices have hit the floor, farmers are outside factory gates or some other issue such as 40 outbreaks of Covid-19 in meat factories before it will accept there is an issue at all. There is a sense of infallibility that runs through everything the Department does that needs to change. Departmental officials need the Minister of State and the Minister to tell them that there needs to be a change of attitude, and not only in how they deal with Opposition parties because we are just politicians at the end of the day. Crucially, there needs to be a change in how they deal with people at the coalface of our rural heartlands, whether that be farmers, those involved in the forestry sector or those communities.

I entirely accept the right of people to raise objections. In fact, seeing some of the forests and the disasters that have been foisted on communities in places such as Leitrim, I respect and admire those who stand up to some of the bad decisions that have been made and who see it as their job of work to frustrate. However, I also take on board the criticisms and anger Members have over a small number of serial objectors who are simply playing games. My previous commentary was not to have a dig or to try to deflect attention from the Government. We would have been better served collectively if we forced the Government to outline its position on a number of amendments because some good amendments have been tabled, not just by Sinn Féin but by every Opposition group. It is shameful that the Government has not, and will not, consider a single one of those.

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