Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are beyond that. Despair might be a strong word, but one of the things that jumped out of the Mackinnon report was the complete lack of hope from the Department and in this sector in relation to what is going on. I do not have the report in front of me, although I usually do, but that is one aspect. While industry-led continuous pressure is important it should not be the main or leading voice when considering what is the sustainable way forward.

The Minister of State mentioned four streams. Are all four work streams representative of the views of the environment? Who is actually leading on this? The one big absence is that nobody is driving. Members can come to the House every week with questions on the backlogs and what has happened, but it is historical. It is more important now to grasp it, deal with it, and make forestry part of the solution for all of us. We have no choice about that.

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