Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

I love straight questions, and I like giving straight answers. Yes, absolutely, before Christmas, people will know exactly how much they will be able to receive per hectare to reconstitute so, again, there is no reason in the world anybody should not go ahead and carry out their works. The one thing I would advise people on the record of the Dáil is to please deal with registered people. As the Deputy knows, if someone is selling an animal tomorrow morning, he or she wants to do it in a proper way to make sure he or she will be paid. We have a template for people who are selling and engaging in clearing timber from their forests to make sure they are dealing with reputable people and that they will get paid and, again, carry out their work in a safe fashion. Unfortunately, farm deaths have increased. This is also a type of activity on the land. I just want to make sure because sometimes the forest can be dangerous, so it is to make sure they are dealing with proper registered people and get paid. They will have their reconstitution scheme, and they can have every confidence.

I thank my staff in the Department, the head of forestry, Mr. Barry Delany, and all the others who worked so diligently in this reconstitution scheme and, of course, the co-operation of the Minister and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in ensuring we are able to deliver this.

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