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

Second, he said it is going to manage it. The Minister is right about the management part. Someone is telling us porkies somewhere. I believe we were misled at our committee meeting when all its members, including Deputy Carthy, were present. We were totally misled because the boat had sailed and we were playing catch-up. We were told – the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, can confirm this – that the Minister was made aware last year of what was occurring, but now we have minutes of meetings that state he was made aware the year before. His name is mentioned in all the minutes of the meetings in respect of what was going on between Coillte and his Department. If farmers had faith in his Department, we would solve all the problems concerning its targets in a matter of a few years, provided it had the money to do so. Farmers are sick to the teeth of putting in requests to plant. Applications are left there for two, three or four years and the farmer moves on. Time moves on and farmers move on; they do not wait for a Department that is incompetent to issue planting licences.

We need to know the truth regarding what is going on. Is the deal finished? The Minister can say we are getting €25 million here in Ireland but it is a €200 million fund. I have done the figures. With regard to the hectares referred to, those concerned are on about €7,200 or €7,300 per acre. It is fairly simple to calculate. The figure of €25 million was basically put in as a cornerstone investment. The words used related to bringing in national and international investors. The Minister implied this evening that international does not relate to the UK or anyone else. The money is money from other investors; those interested in investing could be from anywhere around the world. The grants can be drawn down by the investors, for a pension fund or other investment down the road. We also need to know what the deal is and its intricacies. What is Coillte getting out of this? Who is getting the total figure when the timber is ultimately processed? What is the percentage they are on? We know about the Coillte partnership with farmers. We know what went on in that regard and what advertising alone cost; however, we do not know the details of what I am referring to. The Minister and Minister of State will be attending the committee meeting tomorrow, which I welcome, but their Department should be on notice that, by God, we will need answers on this whole matter. We are sick and tired of following our tails on this, and hearing different stories day in, day out. First, the figure was 12,000 ha, with Gresham House owning it, but now the Minister is saying the total opposite. We do not know where in the middle the whole truth lies but we need to find out for the simple reason that, in our opinion, Irish land is not up for sale. The farmers of Ireland deserve to be farming it. They will look after planting if there is a scheme to help them. I ask the Tánaiste to rethink what he said, namely that the State needs to start buying land. Is Deputy McConalogue, as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, saying to me that we should have fewer farmers and that the State will own more land? I will tell you one thing: this country has gone wrong.

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