Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It was great to see in an area like that a very efficient outfit cutting, milling and processing timber that was grown in the south of Ireland. The timber was brought up to Connemara, cut and exported, ready for the market in London. It was great to see the quality of product that was being produced in that mill, and the workers' commitment to life there, and that they could have their jobs in a rural area. That is an example of what is being done with forestry. In ten years time, forestry will be in a great place. People I meet in forestry and with connections to it are very committed. They are not whingers, they are not giving out about rural Ireland, they are simply committed to doing their job and doing it well. They are passionate about growing their trees and growing them well. The milling industry was in dire straits at the end of the recession, when the Irish building industry on which it was so dependent, collapsed. However, it immediately went and found markets in Britain and in France, to which it is now exporting. It is a real success story. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address these issues. I just want to outline the commitment and to say that there is a commitment at Government level, at Department level, in the Forest Service and by everyone else involved, to drive this industry forward. The potential there is absolutely immense.