We have dealt with this matter time and again at the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Minister of State cannot deny at this stage that the Department's performance in forestry licensing is putting many prospective foresters off planting. While we may have problems now, we are facing into major ones down the road because of this. We have an annual target of 8,000 ha, yet afforestation stands at only 2,200 ha this week. This is coupled with the snail's pace of the reconstitution and underplant…

The Minister of State is in fairyland. The Government can congratulate itself all it likes, but its targets are not being met. Only 4,728 ha have been licensed this year. That is not an achievement, but a missed target. This topic has taken up most of the time of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine since I have been a member of it. Time and again, we have been told that the system is not working. What is holding the Department back? Why are private licences faring the worst? This is being notice…

I welcome the increased premiums and grants, but faith in the system needs to be regained among farmers and foresters. Lengthy delays in processing applications are resulting in many choosing not to plant. They foresee the same delays happening down the road as affected felling licences. There is another area of discontent. Coillte's felling licences are above target. If we are to see a resolution to the crisis and to avert it dissuading potential new entrants, a new statutory period within which a decision is prov…

The issue is with speed.

Have the Minister and others on that side of the House already forgotten about Vicky Phelan and the statements we all made in this Chamber when she died? We talked about what would happen and what would be done for women. The Minister has a unique chance to bring in legislation that covers all situations. I have no doubt he would have the backing of all Deputies on this side of the House if he did so. I listened to most of the debate from my office. It has been repeated all evening that no one has an issue with the…

The Minister does not even believe that.

The Minister does not even believe it.

I welcome any Bill that attempts to address the damaging effects of gambling. There are too many families suffering because of the effect gambling has had on a family member, and by extension, the family itself. A lot of work is carried out under the radar in communities across the country. A centre in County Tipperary recently secured funding to help those with gambling addiction, namely, the Spafield Family Resource Centre in Cashel, where a launch took place a couple of months ago. The services will also be acce…

I welcome all the homeowners who are in the Gallery. I also recognise them for the pressure they have exerted over the years to get us to this point. As this motion suggests, there is some way to go. We must ensure that the right path is taken so that homeowners are compensated fully and as swiftly as possible. Under 20% of Tipperary's total number of apartment duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2016 were represented in the report of the Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing. This is a significant number. …

I commend Deputy Carthy on tabling the amendment and I hope the Government will accept it. The horse and greyhound industry plays a significant role in my county of Tipperary. Whether it is the small operator with a couple of dogs or horses or the larger operators, the contribution they make to my home county cannot be understated and must be supported. These sectors provide great employment. When we are asked to approve the expenditure of such an amount of taxpayers' money, we must be sure there is full transparen…

The Minister went overboard because he spent all his time talking about the Opposition.

I thank Deputy O'Rourke for tabling the motion before the House. This Government needs to start standing up for the people who are in need of help. People are sick and tired of seeing a Government watch while others take advantage of the people. The Government only responds in the interests of the public when pressure from the Opposition or elsewhere becomes too much to bear. We have seen this with its slowness to act in the areas of windfall taxes and decoupling gas from electricity prices while energy providers h…

I welcome the opportunity to address the matter of forestry because, despite recent announcements and fanfare, the issues facing many foresters remain the same in many cases. The Minister of State claims these are exciting times for the forestry sector but this is not what any of the rest of us are hearing from foresters. We note the anger and frustration of foresters, who know the Government is not up to the task of solving the problems in the sector. The dysfunctional licensing system, poor communications and ove…

I asked to raise this topic today because the Department seems to be unable to properly address the question I put to the Minister before. I will give an example. PAWS Animal Rescue is based in Mullinahone in County Tipperary, my constituency. At the moment, it is looking after greyhounds and lurchers among 13 different breeds of dog. That is just one snapshot in time. Like similar organisations and dog shelters right across the country, it operates on a shoestring budget. The measly grants given to such organisati…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I note the Minister of State has been sent in by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and that she is reading from his script. Organisations such as PAWS Animal Rescue throughout the country are struggling big time with funding. As I said, it is already €55,000 in debt to vets after receiving its grants. The Minister of State referred to the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust. Speaking to vets, it is clear that the meagre funding provided for such procedures is not worth…

I hope we do not keep Deputy Farrell awake at night too much. Many families are awake about things the Government does-----

-----and brings into this House.

Sorry?

I will stick to the script.

Deputy Farrell should relax for a minute. I welcome the opportunity to talk about this on behalf of constituents who experience particular hardships, when they find the system either slow to respond or not responding to their circumstances. I will refer to the additional needs payment. While I appreciate the Department has taken some action to address the limited timeframe involved, many people are still faced with unacceptable delays. The many constituents who have contacted me about this have invariably said they…