Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise the very concerning report in today's edition of The Irish Timesthat Forest Industries Ireland lobbied the Government to appoint the author of the Mackinnon report and offered to pay some of the costs. Regardless of differing opinions on the Mackinnon report, and putting aside the fact that we all accept there are deep systemic problems in the forestry sector in Ireland, this is about industry and the influence it has within Government Departments.

This report was commissioned under the previous Government and it once again highlights the close connections between Fine Gael and industry. I would like an explanation from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as to what due process was carried out in the commissioning of this report. I do not intend to call into question the experience or capability of the author; I am calling the process into question. According to the The Irish Times report Forest Industries Ireland contacted Mr. Mackinnon in advance. Forest Industries Ireland then informed the Department that Mr. Mackinnon was enthusiastic about carrying out a report in Ireland and that it was willing to pay €10,000 towards the cost of the report.

On the face of it, it looks like the Department is doing the bidding of industry. It might deny that but without a full explanation of the process used I have to say, if this is how the Government does business, the optics are not good. A former Member of this House spoke in favour of a Bill on financial services, one week before he went to work in that sector. There are developers who are literally writing the Government's housing policy. It now appears we are allowing industry to tell us who we should appoint to carry out studies and even offering to pay for them. The House deserves an explanation from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the process carried out in appointing this individual to carry out that report.