Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is a key factor in what this real proposal is about. It is about trying to make sure we have the opportunity at farm level to ensure that we can actually plant trees. That is a really important thing. The Minister of State has pointed out her own reasons for this amendment but that opportunity being given to the farming community is something we should support. Do we really want to go through assessments for 0.1 ha? We spend more money on consultants and making sure we are doing the right thing, and nobody will do anything. That is the real issue.We will have no benefit from this. This gives the ability to every farmer in this country to plant trees to a minor degree, on a small proportion of land,, which is less than 1 ha. The area is from 0.1 ha to 1 ha. We are trying to promote this. When you talk to co-operative movements, mart movements or farming organisations, what do they say? They talk about trying to get more trees and more hedgerows planted.

Technically, if I were to plant 200 trees tomorrow morning along my ditch, I would be breaking the law. I would be wrong. I would be technically in breach of the law because I did not get an environmental impact assessment and because I would not have gone through all of the necessary work. For me to plant those 200 trees, it could cost me €3,000 or €4,000 in fees. Is that appropriate? Is that what we want the farming community to do? Is that where we need to go? We need to promote this so that the majority of farmers can come forward and plant trees on a proportion of their land to a minor degree. It is not a big ask, but it will change so much if we can get people involved. Section 9 is a real step forward. It is about setting an ambition for the Government of which we are all a part. More important, we will not get tied up in doing assessments for an area that is 0.1 ha. Realistically, will we put our farming community through that? They are already disillusioned in so many ways with the conversation in this House. If they heard this argument here this afternoon, I am sure they would be a lot more than disillusioned.