Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Senator Higgins has made a very good point on amendment No. 16, which intends to insert in the Bill that "The Minister may, having regard to the public interest and fairness of procedures, prescribe a period which is longer than the period specified in paragraph (a), in order to ensure wide access to the appeal mechanism of the Forestry Appeals Committee, and in light of the cumulative effect of decisions of the Minister on the burden of the public in engaging with the review mechanism."

This will be very difficult. Many of these are individuals who do not have the might, finances and resources of big corporates, conglomerates or those who will benefit through ripping out much of this natural asset of ours. There may be some serial objectors, and I do not necessarily support all of that, but there are individuals who have rights and who feel they need to voice their concerns in some way. It would be important. This would be at the discretion of the Minister of State and I do not think she can have a difficulty with it. I hope she does not.

I would like to think that when the Minister of State came into the Chamber today, she did so with an open mind and not a typed script that someone handed her while telling her to stick to the line on all of this, to go in and do a good job and that she will be a good Minister of State if she delivers for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. She will be a good Minister of State if she delivers what is the right thing, having taken advice internally and externally, and she has plenty of that coming her way. I would be interested to hear her response to amendment No. 16 in particular because it is a reasonable compromise and it is what I hope she will favour.