Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with colleagues in asking for a debate on the forestry sector. This morning, we had an important briefing which gave a very good insight into where we are going with the huge issue of forestry in Ireland. There is a real need for a debate on forestry because the new forestry programme, which was supposed to be announced and enacted in January, has not come forward yet. People expected an announcement to be made at the National Ploughing Championships. Advisers need to plan yet no programme has been announced. It has been said that the new date for the actual launch of the plan will be next March or April. That shows that the date has not even been decided.

A briefing was held this morning. One individual attending informed us that he employs 85 people at his tree nursery. He said that he will have to destroy millions of plants because there is no forward planning and nobody knows when the forestry programme will be rolled out.

We have an issue with the amount of land to be planted. It is a scar on society in so many ways because we have failed to get farmers involved at such a primary level and they do not have the confidence to plant land. There is no confidence in the forestry sector now because there is no plan. Unless we have a robust debate with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine then, unfortunately, no real planting will be done over the next six months minimum because the plans need to be drafted and the work needs to be contracted out. People go on about having a low but continuous amount of planting for the next six or eight months. The Minister needs to come to this Chamber in the next few days to explain why the plan has not been rolled out and to give us a date for when it will be rolled out.