Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. In the limited time I have, I cannot talk on every issue I would like to address. There is a particular issue I wish to raise, however. In his opening contribution, the Minister of State spoke about wanting to be a Minister of State who delivers and that if he does not deliver, then forestry fails, he fails as a Minister of State and the Government fails. That is true and the right way to look at it. There is one thing he can do that will differentiate him from previous Ministers and the Department in general and it relates to ash dieback. We still have people throughout the country who rightly feel they have been let down by the Department over a number of years. They believe they have not been heard.

Yesterday, I was on the land of Mary McCormack, just outside Killenaule in County Tipperary. She has been growing trees for years. It is a livelihood. She and her family absolutely love it. However, she has been dealing with ash dieback for the past ten to 12 years. It has been a real strain on the family. They feel as though no one understands it and no one listens. Mary told me yesterday that the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, has been vocal on this in recent years, he understands it and he gets it. Today he has said he wants to be someone who delivers. These people feel that they have been forgotten about. They do not believe the scheme is enough or that the Department really cares about them and their issues. They are looking for someone to show leadership on this issue. I am calling on the Minister of State to do just that. They have been crying out for this for ten years. They have faith in him to do it and to support and protect them. This is their livelihood. They love what they do. Some of the excuses that have been given about why things cannot be done and trees cannot be cut relate to habitat, birds and wildlife. Yesterday I drove through Mary's land. In the area affected by ash dieback, there is no habitat whatsoever. In the area where the trees are growing perfectly, you can hear birds, see rabbits and see everything going the way it should be going. That is not is happening, however, where the trees have ash dieback.

I ask the Minister of State to visit Tipperary in his time in office, but also to listen to these people who have been vocal for the past number of years with the Department but feel as though they have not been heard. They are holding out for him to make a real difference for them. All they want to do is to grow trees and do it right, but also be supported and protected by the Department.