Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is in the primary legislation. Regarding the amendment the Senator has tabled, which is to insert the native Irish pine, the Burren pine, I understand that the reference relates to the small population of Scots pines in Rockforest, County Clare, which are said to be derived from the original native Scots pine trees. While people refer to these trees as native Irish or Burren pine, these trees are still considered Scots pine and will therefore be eligible to be considered for inclusion in any future scheme aimed at planting native tree areas.

As the existing provisions in the Bill already facilitate the planting of native Irish pine, I do not propose to accept the amendment. The good news is that it is covered and will be accommodated in the future. The other good news is that because the hawthorn is categorised as a shrub and because the legislation facilitates within the regulation of the schemes the promotion of shrubs, it can also be included. We are pretty well covered and, therefore, I do not propose to accept the amendment.