Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Kyne for sharing his time with me on this very important topic. I welcome Deputy Cahill, the Chairman of the joint committee, to the House. While he seems very comfortable in his seat, I do not think he has any great ambition to come to this House other than in his capacity as Chairman of the joint committee. I also welcome Senator Hackett in her capacity as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for forestry. This is a great report, and I compliment the committee on bringing it forward.

I have no doubt at all but that every single Member here has encountered great difficulties with people in the forestry industry. Whether they were planting or felling trees, and whatever end of the industry they were in, they have had huge problems over recent years, or at least the past year and half or two years, with licensing, felling and planting. A great deal rests on Senator Hackett's shoulders as the Minister of State responsible for this sector, and I have no doubt at all but that she will make this a top priority.This is a very big industry in Ireland. It is a great industry and has great potential. I wish to deal with recommendations Nos. 3, 4 and 5 on licensing, particularly the area of planning and the introduction of a single concept covering planting, road construction, management and felling. There is absolutely no reason that cannot be done together. Why should people have to apply for five different licences, such as a licence for felling, a licence for management and a licence for road construction? This should be part of the planning application and it should be simplified. It is great that this was highlighted in the report. We know of the large backlog of licence applications in recent months. It is hard to explain to the public or, indeed, those involved in the industry why there is such a backlog. There are various reasons for the backlog but it is mind-boggling, to say the least, that we have such a large backlog because it is not a huge industry as is the case in other countries. There is no great science involved in road construction or the felling of trees. I hope this will be streamlined and I have no doubt but that the Minister of State is on top of her game in regard to this aspect.

I believe the forestry industry should be more fluid. As many Senators have said, it is a long and drawn-out process. From planting to getting a return, it could take 30 years or whatever. If the process was more fluid whereby the trees could be sold or the forestry could be rented, it would add to the industry. If someone who planted a forest that is now five or ten years old needs money but does not want to sell the land, he or she should be able to sell the trees at that stage. There should be a mechanism to facilitate this. There could also be a mechanism in place whereby they could get a yearly income. The whole industry should be more fluid because a lot of money is involved in planting and growing, especially given the timeframe of 30 years for the forestry to mature. This is an area the Minister of State could look at. She should consider whether big financiers are required to come to the aid of the people in the industry. I hope that will be examined.

I wish to raise the issue of the timber being taken from the forestry. The people harvesting and transporting it should liaise more with the local authorities about the damage done to the roads infrastructure when removing the timber from the forestry, because some roads have been left in dire straits afterwards and nobody seems to be able to take responsibility for the damage. I know the situation is much better now than it had been. Another aspect of this relates to fencing. I have seen many cases of fencing which had been erected being bundled together and buried in the debris. I believe any fencing that is used and has to be taken down to facilitate the removal of the forestry should be taken away and not buried in the ground. There are obviously mechanisms for taking fencing away.

By way of a last point, I refer to ash dieback, which is a significant problem throughout the country. As we now know, the best advice is to cut it down and burn it. Assistance must be given to people in this regard. It is a matter I am sure the Minister of State is aware and on top of.

I welcome the report and I wish the Minister of State well with it. This report is a great basis on which she can work. She has the backing of the House and the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I congratulate the committee for the great work it has done.