I am not stating that the allegation was aimed at any of my colleagues on any side of the House. I wish for it to be withdrawn. Otherwise we will have to seek a remedy. We have the Official Report and the recordings. It does not sit well to suggest, and if the Senator is going to make an allegation, she should substantiate it. Otherwise, withdraw it.

I move amendment No. 3: In page 4, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following: "(1C) The Minister, in making appointments to the Forestry Appeals Committee, shall consider the skills and experience necessary to undertake appeals of forestry licenses, and shall ensure it has members with experience and skills particularly in respect of biodiversity, water quality, climate change, and environmental legislation.",". These amendments are in the name of myself and others. This matter relates to inserting that the…

Hear, hear.

I am sorry I only dealt with amendment No. 3 when I should also have spoken on amendments Nos. 5, 10 and 95. Senator Boylan put her finger on the matter with a very good suggestion about a panel system. This is about giving confidence to people and, in particular, the environmental pillars, which have been active. We saw the number of submissions that they sent as individuals and collective organisations to the Government's public consultation on the draft heads of the Bill. Someone from An Bord Pleanála could be n…

That is exceptionally disappointing. If the House agrees, we will have a vótáil because this is now critical to the issue of confidence and a belief in standing firm with the environmental pillars. Of course, regrettably, we are still awaiting a response from the Minister of State's Department to an email in regard to the index of the submissions. I apologise to the thousands of people who will be listening to this, because I know many are tuned in to these proceedings, including many of the Minister of State's par…

It is critically important to this. It relates to amendments Nos. 3, 5, 10, 95 and 97.

I will refer to the just transition submission that we did not get, but which relates absolutely to this matter and has been signed off by members of the Minister of State's party. It relates to amendments Nos. 3, 5, 10, 95 and 97, for the purposes of keeping everyone on focus. The members of the environmental pillars have asked us to pursue this matter. The Minister of State tells me nothing has changed and she tries to reassure us that this is all covered in the Bill. If it is all covered in the Bill, better to h…

I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following: "(1C) (a) The Minister shall establish panels of expert bodies to propose nominees for appointment as members of the Forestry Appeals Committee, similar to the panels used to appoint members of the Board of An Bord Pleanála who determine appeals in planning matters. (b) Such panels should comprise input from expert bodies and agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, An Taisce: t…

I move amendment No. 10: In page 4, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following: “(2G) Notwithstanding anything in this section, the Minister shall ensure any and all divisions of the Forestry Appeals Committee organised to hear any appeal, include members with skills and expertise particularly in the fields of biodiversity, water quality, climate change, and environmental legislation.”.

I move amendment No. 11: In page 4, line 38, to delete “28 days” and substitute “60 days”. Section 3 proposes to insert a new subsection (4)(a) in section 14A of the Act. The new subsection states: "Where a person is dissatisfied by a decision made by the Minister under an enactment or statutory instrument specified in Schedule (2) (referred to in this section and sections 14B and 14D as a 'decision') he or she may, within a period of 28 days beginning on the date of the decision, appeal to the Forestry Appeals Com…

I have heard what the Minister of State had to say. We will see whether others wish to contribute.

Senator Higgins has made a very good point on amendment No. 16, which intends to insert in the Bill that "The Minister may, having regard to the public interest and fairness of procedures, prescribe a period which is longer than the period specified in paragraph (a), in order to ensure wide access to the appeal mechanism of the Forestry Appeals Committee, and in light of the cumulative effect of decisions of the Minister on the burden of the public in engaging with the review mechanism." This will be very difficult…

I did not say it either.

I move amendment No. 12: In page 4, line 38, to delete “28 days” and substitute “42 days”.

We have the numbers. The Tá's outnumber the Níl's.

I move amendment No. 14: In page 4, line 39, after “the” where it secondly occurs to insert “notification of the”.

I move amendment No. 15: In page 5, to delete lines 1 to 6.

I move amendment No. 16: In page 5, to delete lines 1 to 6 and substitute the following: “(b) The Minister may, having regard to the public interest and fairness of procedures, prescribe a period which is longer than the period specified in paragraph (a), in order to ensure wide access to the appeal mechanism of the Forestry Appeals Committee, and in light of the cumulative effect of decisions of the Minister on the burden of the public in engaging with the review mechanism.”,”.

I move amendment No. 19: In page 5, to delete lines 7 and 8 and substitute the following: “(e) by the substitution of the following for subsection (6): “(6) The decisions of the Forestry Appeals Committee can be subject to judicial review in the High Court.”.”. This amendment relates to the fact that the forestry appeals committee's decision can be the subject of a judicial review in the High Court. Before I talk further about the amendment, I am conscious of time, Members, votes and constructive debate. Some peopl…

The Minister of State's response is disappointing. She keeps standing up and saying the amendments are not acceptable and that it is all in the legislation. Double indemnity is always a good thing. That is the Minister of State's decision but this is too important to let go. I will be asking my colleagues not only to vote for this amendment but to call for a full division on it. This is as much about setting a track record on the Government's delivery of this legislation as anything else. Our colleagues will have a…