Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I come from a farming background. No matter where you go now in Ireland, there is nowhere that planting trees will not result in run-off down to some drain or river. When people planted forestry one time, they did the mounding and there was a system where it took out all the material. It is delusional to think we are going to sow 500,000 ha of trees and still get better water quality. In fairness to the EPA, it is trying to do one thing, while the relevant Department is trying to do another. The two will not add up, one way or the other. I thank the witnesses for answering my questions.