Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I note that he said he had dealt with the challenges head on. I was trying to remember what that reminded me of and I may tell him after the debate.

Our island advantage must be used and availed of. Senator Feargal Quinn lives almost on an island, a peninsula, where there are red squirrels which are not found in the rest of the country. We are protected by our island from importation of diseases which could affect the flora and fauna. I am glad the Minister of State has taken action against those imports. I recall, a long time ago, the GAA and hurley makers were supposed to get together with Coillte's predecessor, probably the then Department of Lands. It is a pity that 70% of hurleys have to be imported. Perhaps the Minister of State could bring the group together again. Are there any lessons to be learned from the Dutch elm disease which devastated many of our trees in the past? In Trinity College Dublin tomorrow we celebrate the centenary of David A. Webb, the doyen of Irish botanists, and will be with 110 botanists. If any member of the Department is present tomorrow afternoon, he or she could join in and will have access to a great assembly of people who are experts in the area.

I welcome the North-South dimension. It is important we tackle the issue on a unified basis. Is there a plan to engage in breeding programmes to try to develop plants within Ireland which would not have the diseases described, which appear to be imported primarily on the roots of plants? It will be noticed that Australia has an immense programme to prevent the importation of diseases on food products and plants. We have something to cherish in this country. While it has been done in regard to elms, can we breed indigenous disease free trees here? I recall my surprise that after so many decades of talking about it, the GAA and the hurley makers did not get together to give us a stronger home industry. Can we develop new genetic breeding of the plant? Senator Feargal Quinn is a fan of genetic engineering but can that be done to get a better brand?

Is it possible to substitute anything into Irish tree planting for leylandii which has become a scourge, a weed, an uglification of the country, so to speak? We must have some native breeds of broadleaf trees and not use it so much in shelter belt programmes.

I wish the Minister of State well in the endeavour and compliment him and his staff on how quickly they have reacted. A repeat of the Dutch elm disease experience of 20 or 30 years ago would devastate the landscape and have knock-on effects in the area of tourism and how well the country looks.