Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not know where the Minister of State is getting his advice. I have a crataegus in my garden that is 40 ft high. That is a tree and not a shrub. They are all over the place. The Minister of State will know them from all over his part of the country. These hawthorns are our trees. They are listed in The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs. These are not shrubs. I do not know what anybody who comes in and tells the Minister of State that hawthorns are shrubs is doing or where he or she is coming from. If that is the sort of advice that the Minister of State is getting, then I am now really concerned. These are trees. I studied horticulture. I have planted these species and I have planted them in my garden. I do not understand this description. These species are recommended and they are rich in biodiversity in respect of the berries, the seeds and the flowers. Equally, they are also hard to impregnate and to get into, so they act to protect bird life in them. That is one of the great things about them. Additionally, they will grow anywhere. If anything, I could understand if it had been a case of the Minister coming in and saying we have too many of these species and that they are all over the place. To suggest they are not trees, though, I do not understand. I will be looking for a job in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine tomorrow.