Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I presume that the Minister of State and I are meeting the same groups. She has met SEEFA and I have met that association many times. I am sure she is aware of the concerns raised by many of the farm organisations, particularly the forestry section of the IFA. They are all saying the same thing. The maps speak for themselves in showing the very large swaths of land across the island of Ireland that are subject to limitations and restrictions. The mapping shows huge tracts of land that are likely to be ineligible for forestry. The Minister of State has said that it may appear that way but that farmers should go ahead and apply. However, farmers would have to do so at a cost to themselves because they would have to pay for reports. We need farmers if we are going to achieve the 8,000 ha target but I have not met any farmers who not be put off by the idea of having to get reports done at a cost to themselves in order to have their forestry licence applications approved.

There are significant concerns but it does not sound like the Minister of State has heard them. I presume representatives of SEEFA put them to her when they met her. I would be very concerned if the Minister of State was not aware of very serious concerns relating to the future of the forestry programme. The Minister of State needs to review the new programme, particularly the limitations that are set out in it. When will she look again at where we are going in relation to this? We are only two months into the programme, more or less, because it started so late. When will the Minister of State be reviewing it?

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