Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important to point out that this happened long before the Minister came into the Department. I take on board and totally accept the seriousness with which the Minister takes this. The worry is whether the Department and the officials take it with the same seriousness, but I trust the Minister's leadership on this.

The Minister said there are 4,700 files for processing but only 2,000 are primary backlogs. What is the difference between those? There are 4,700 files in there. Obviously, therefore, it is a backlog for the people who have files in there and they are waiting.

The Minister must have an indication from the 600 that have been processed in the last two months of when he will be able to clear the backlog. Has he any idea of that? In fairness, from my constituency in County Tipperary, approximately 740 people are employed directly in the forestry sector. The Minister is aware these jobs are insecure now with lack of timber. I am thinking of Dunnes Sawmills in Drangan and Sheehan Sawmills in Ballyporeen. These are good jobs and good people who have been in the industry for 25 years and 40 years, respectively, and who give back an awful lot to their communities. We need to make sure we can save this industry and make it viable going forward. The Minister might answer the question on when the backlogs will be cleared or give a prediction, if possible, of when they might be cleared.