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

I hear the Ministers talking about planting native trees but they have the forestry industry finished. For a long time, it thought it was the case that Department officials were lagging. Others thought that objectors were causing the delay in the issuing of felling licences. However, I now honestly feel that it is the Government and these Ministers that have the whole thing completely finished. I always say what it is in my head and I honestly believe the Ministers do not want spruce to be cut, planted or re-planted anywhere and that this is totally contrary to their will. It goes against the grain for them. I have nothing against native trees but we need commercial timber as well. We are now so far behind in issuing felling licences that the price of timber has increased to an unacceptable level which is preventing people from building houses. A 6 inch by 3 inch stick of timber that was €20 for many years is now €38. It is the same with every other type of commercial timber. The prices have practically doubled. This is having a detrimental effect. I honestly believe the Ministers do not understand the value of spruce. We are told that an acre of spruce sequesters 13 tonnes of carbon. Native trees take much longer to grow. As I have said, I have nothing against native species but we have to be real about this. These species only sequester 4 tonnes per acre.

The Ministers have not made one iota of a difference to the felling licence situation or helped it in any way. I have lost faith in them. We have spoken about this a great deal but we are still where we were. People have walked away from planting trees because they see what is happening to the people who want to cut down trees, in some cases because they want the money for real things like sending children to college. I know of a man who became immobilised and wanted to do up his house and put it in order so that he could manage a wheelchair in it. He does not have any money because he cannot get a felling licence. He also cannot get permission to build a road. I have always said that when you plant a crop, whether barley, oats, spuds or whatever, there must be an ideology that it will be cut down when it is ripe. That has to be the same for forestry. They would replant the trees but they cannot because they cannot get a felling licence to cut them.

With regard to wild animals, I concur with Deputy Canney from Galway. It was sad to hear some of the comments made about us when we were trying to do something about pain relief for little babies. They are human beings and creatures of God. Not only did some people not want to hear about the little babies, but they do not want to hear about God either because many of them think they themselves are God and that they do not have to worry about anything. Their day will come, as will everybody else's.

On the issue of wild animals, we are completely overrun with deer in Kerry. Our roads are not safe. At 7.15 the other morning, a deer ran out in front of a youngster who had gone to the trouble of getting his driving test, buying a car and getting expensive insurance, and it made flitters of his car, which he gave a lot of money for. He is finished now. He cannot go to work because his car has been put out of action before it really got going at all. Something has to be done about the deer because they have our side of the country totally overrun. The roads are not safe. They are eating farmers out of house and home. We are talking about there not being any fertiliser next year. For many farmers, there was no good in putting it out anyway because the deer got the benefit of it.

Foxes need to be brought under control in some way as well. Many here may not realise what happens when a lamb or a couple of lambs are taken by a fox. It is absolutely horrible. That is devastating for sheep farmers who work hard and who have to traverse mountains, glens and valleys to look after their sheep. Every year, 30 or 40 sheep out of every flock finish up without a lamb because of foxes. That is the gospel truth. I do not know if the Minister understands that.

We are completely overrun. There needs to be some policy or Government action taken to deal with the deer and the foxes, and more so the deer because people are being hurt and killed. A mother of three children was killed coming into Killarney within a half a mile of the centre of the town. That is the gospel truth. We need to do something about real issues. This is the Minister's time. They are the Ministers at this time, although I do not know for how long. If they want to prove their worth, they must do something about these issues.

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