Comment: Healy-Rae's resignation shouldn't have come as a shock

In hindsight, Michael Healy-Rae's resignation as Minister of State shouldn't have come as a shock, especially after last week's protests. Given his closeness to farmers and hauliers, especially in Kerry, his ambiguous comments about the protests left him open to criticism from all sides.

But he left nobody in doubt about his true position on Tuesday when he announced his resignation and his intention to vote in favour of the no confidence vote in the Government.

He cited his loyalty to "the people around the county of Kerry" and the contractors he worked with over the years as the reasons for his departure. If he had contacted the wider constituency he represented since January last year, he might have reconsidered.

Every member of the forestry and forest products sector I spoke to over the past 24 hours expressed dismay about his resignation because he brought an energy to his forestry portfolio that has been rare for any Minister of State.

The former Minister said he hoped he was "making the right decision" in resigning. If he had consulted foresters, forestry companies, sawmillers, harvesters, timber hauliers and forest owners, they would have told him that he had made the wrong decision for forestry.

They acknowledged his commitment to the sector but must now start all over again with a new minister at the helm.

Criticism

If there is a criticism to be leveled at Michael Healy-Rae it's his failure to discuss his decision with the wider constituency he represented since he was appointed Minister of State last January 12 months.

The cynics will say there are no votes in a 25-county constituency but the reaction of stakeholders we contacted was more of sorrow than anger about his abrupt departure.

But his broader constituency had every right to be consulted.

They include the beleaguered forest owners – mainly farmers – with windblown forests from Clare to Cavan, the harvesters trying to extract this damaged resource, the foresters and forestry companies trying to reinvigorate a rapidly declining afforestation programme and the sawmillers who believe the past 10-year disastrous planting programme will result in long-term timber shortfall.

Responsibility

If afforestation is "one of the largest land-based, long-term climate change mitigation measures available to Ireland" according to Ireland's Climate Action Plan, then Minister Heydon should take responsibility for forestry during the remainder of his term.

Forest owners, timber processors, nurseries forestry companies and their representative bodies have been calling for the establishment of an independent State Forestry Development Agency (FDA), to lead the sector especially over the past two decades as the afforestation programme has fallen from 10,000ha to a likely 2,000ha this year. They deserve this as forestry is the only natural resource without such a body.