Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply and I appreciate that it is a work in progress. I ask her to relay to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government our desire to be updated on the legal advice he is getting. It is an emotive issue for the people involved. Can the Minister, Deputy Hogan, also take on board the wishes of the local community as expressed by 200 people at two local meetings in Connemara at the weekend? They want to maintain a fair trade role if possible whereby cutters will have a role in the industry and the selling rights, be it through a co-operative or otherwise. Those rights should not be given over to a private company which could dictate to the cutters who will, thus, have no control over their own industry. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State could pass those comments on to the Minister.