Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am a small farmer, I own forestry land and I have worked for many years in the forestry services. I have raised with the current and past Governments the need for carbon credits to be given to farmers and others involved in forestry. As the Taoiseach will be aware, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, denied many amendments by the Rural Independent Group and others, including those seeking carbon credits, but I believe that in recent days he has had a conversion. This is the second time during Leaders' Questions that theBusiness Postis to be complimented. I compliment it for excellent reporting over the weekend on the Minister's change of heart. He now recognises, rightly so, that farmers and forestry owners should have a system of carbon credits put in place. As the Taoiseach knows, I am very fair to everybody. I thank Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Deputies and others, including those of no party, who have lobbied the Minister and tried to persuade him to understand and realise this is the right thing to do. I hate talking about somebody when he is not present but when the Minister is not here, I cannot help it. He said recently that young people should be supported in rural communities and that he wants them to live in them. The funny thing about it is that, at the same time, he does not want them to get planning permission to live in them. He does not want to build roads, even though he is the Minister responsible for roads. He wants briars out to the middle of the road in the countryside and cyclists avoiding potholes and trying to prevent the eyes from being taken out of their heads. At the same time, forestry has been neglected. There has been zero movement on the ash dieback scheme. Nothing has improved or changed. There is a lack of support for replanting after storm and frost damage. There have been no reconstruction grants. We have been crying out for those for a long time and have been told they are on their way but so is Christmas.

Is the Taoiseach aware that there are applications for more than 9,000 ha, or 22,239 acres, sitting in the forest service awaiting approval? That means 1,300 people are waiting for permission to plant trees, some for more than three years. Can the Taoiseach answer one simple question? Why is the forest service only capable of processing fewer than ten afforestation scheme applications per week in June? Is it a policy of the Department to favour felling applications over afforestation licences? Could the Taoiseach tell us once and for all what exactly the Government and Department have against people who want to be involved in the forestry plantation business?

ESB costs are rising enormously, with a 9% increase coming very soon, and gas prices are on the increase, on top of the increases last year. At the same time, the Green Party and Government are telling us we should rely more on electricity.

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