Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)

I rise today to discuss the issue of insurance for forestry owners. Recent events, particularly in west Roscommon and in Longford and Achill, have laid bare the critical inadequacies of the insurance landscape. We often hear about re-establishment costs being covered but I fear the term is often misunderstood and, frankly, it falls short of what our forestry owners truly need and deserve. Let us be clear that the re-establishment cost primarily covers the cost of clearing debris and replanting the trees. It helps farmers to get back their land to a basic starting point, and this is very important, but what it fundamentally fails to cover is the value of the crop. The value of the crop increases every year until it is harvested. I call for a debate with the Minister of State, who very kindly facilitated a meeting this week with a delegation from Gorthaganny affected by this issue. We as legislators can try to put measures in place to assist in this matter. I call on the House to initiate a comprehensive and open debate on forestry insurance. We need to explore the true meaning and scope of the forestry insurance policies, the gap between re-establishment cover and the value of the crop, and a mechanism to ensure fair and adequate compensation for the loss of the timber value.