We remember the Government's fanfare at major launches such as Our Rural Future, the shared island initiative and the ten launches for the NDP. The lofty words spoken at those launches about commitment to rural, regional and all-Ireland development actually count for very little when compared with the failure to deliver the infrastructure projects our regions require. We recently learned that the actions of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Government have resulted in the TII stalling the next …

I am prone to delivery.

This project.

This is the Clontibret to the Border project.

Talking about our health services, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the pay for the Secretary General of the Department of Health went up yesterday by €3,000. That is on top of the increase last November of €3,000. That is on top of the additional €81,000 on which the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Tánaiste collectively agreed, without any process, rationale or justification. There is no justification. His salary now stands at €297,869. Compare that with the head of the British NHS, whose sal…

It needs to be transparent-----

I asked if the Taoiseach regrets his part in this grubby affair. It is a grubby affair.

I move amendment No. 1: In page 15, between lines 26 and 27, to insert the following: “(i) shall on an annual basis lay a report before Dáil Éireann on the level of afforestation per Local Electoral Area, the level of which is broadleaf, and as to how this aligns with government policy and objectives,” I thank the Minister for being here. I will take a moment to reflect on the situation in which we found ourselves in that we were dealing with legislation on the banning of mink fur farms and at a late stage, on Comm…

Without rehashing everything that has been said, the reason we want this to be brought before the Dáil on an annual basis is because it will focus minds. This is an issue we really need to get right for all the reasons outlined by the Minister to which this Dáil has agreed. This has implications for a myriad of different policy areas such as land use, rural and regional development and our climate action obligations. We need to get this right. We are also in unanimity about saying that we need to plant trees. We ne…

The Minister has said he will provide that information and I welcome that. The reason we put forward this amendment was that we think that information is important. I will take the Minister at his word and I will not press the amendment.

I move amendment No. 2: In page 15, line 30, after “grants,” to insert “subject to Dáil approval and”. This is the most important amendment we have proposed and I hope the Minister will adopt it. We have heard about the broad outline of the scheme that is being brought forward which exempts afforestation of broadleaf trees up to 1 ha. We support that, as the Minister knows. We support that principle. This amendment asks the Minister to bring any scheme arising from this legislation before the Dáil for approval. The…

Why not, indeed? If the beef exceptional aid measure, BEAM, scheme, for example, had come before this House for approval, we might not have had the situation where so much money went without being drawn down and then had to be repaid through penalties. It is precisely for those reasons that there is a need for oversight. There is a particular problem in forestry, however. Quite frankly, as I said, across the board, when we talk to environmentalists, the timber industry and communities, they do not trust the Departm…

I will make a brief comment. The Minister has talked about some of the positive things that have happened. The evidence is that this House has supported him. He mentioned the legislation on forestry appeals. The Opposition collectively agreed to waive pre-legislative scrutiny to ensure the legislation’s speedy passage through the Dáil. I do not believe there is anything to fear from asking for Dáil scrutiny in this instance and it is for that reason that I will be pressing the amendment.

I move amendment No. 3: In page 16, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “(i) existing levels of afforestation adjacent to domestic dwellings,”. I will not push this amendment to a full vote but the Minister might accept it. Essentially, we are proposing that one of the criteria to be taken into account before the Minister approves a scheme would be the existing levels of afforestation adjacent to domestic dwellings. The amendment does not seek to constrain the Government at all in designing this scheme…

The areas the Minister referred to are addressed in the Bill through the environmental assessments the Department will be obliged to take into account. We are asking that the scheme take into consideration the existing levels of afforestation and, to go back to our earlier conversation, the types of afforestation involved. We want a forestry policy that delivers for the environment and the economy but also, as I have said countless times, delivers for the communities that live close by. Our amendment is eminently s…

The Taoiseach is comparing a funeral to a champagne party. Scandalous.

The Taoiseach will stand over any Fine Gael-----

The Taoiseach will stand over any crony appointment, or any pay raise or whatever it takes-----

-----but he will not actually do the decent thing.

If the Taoiseach wants to go into the muck-----