Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senators again for the discussion on these amendments. I accept the concerns behind the people making appeals. I believe there is a genuine reason in the vast majority of cases. We must appreciate that appeals have been made against licences issued for things like woodland creation, before being withdrawn when they have been highlighted. One must consider and be aware that a certain percentage of appeals fall into this category.

The information that will be available on the online portal will be invaluable in terms of public communication and transparency. People will be afforded information that is currently more difficult to access and that will make things easier. Therefore, when somebody sees a licence application go up in his or her local area, as per the planning authority, he or she can click on the link to see who is making the licence application and what it entails. If such a person is concerned about certain issues, he or she can arm himself or herself from that point. If his or her concern relates to the proximity to a waterway, for example, he or she is already armed at that stage.Licences are issued after 30 days and the results of licences from the Department are published three times per week on its website. As such it would be two days at the slowest. If a person has been looking out for it, he or she will see it, and if a person misses it, he or she might consider how concerned he or she was about it in the first place. I believe 28 days from that point is sufficient time.

Again, we must remember the other side of the argument here. I have been contacted by farmers who are frustrated because they want to plant a small area of broadleaves on their farms. There is only a certain window of opportunity to do this in the year as this planting is a seasonal thing. They are ringing me up and asking why they cannot plant and who is appealing their broadleaf plantations. They are saying they are running out of time and that if they have to wait 28 days, it will push them into next year. I have had many conversations with different farmers in my constituency and throughout the country who are frustrated by the delay when they are trying to do things the right way. They are doing what we have been asking them to do, namely, to plant the right tree in the right place, and they are then subject to appeal or are being delayed in the granting of their licence because of the backlogs.

With that in mind, 28 days is sufficient. The information, although it may not be fully there now, will be available and I am satisfied we will be able to improve the system, its transparency and public participation in it. I will not be accepting any of these amendments.