Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 March 2013
223. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to hold a public consultation process in relation to the proposed sale of the Coillte asset; when this consultation will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14470/13]
View answerFurther to the Government decision that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte’s forests be put forward for sale, the National Treasury Management Agency, via its NewERA Unit, has been actively engaged with Coillte, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my Department to examine the financial and other implications of a potential transaction. Substantial work has been undertaken to date on the identification of the forestry assets involved, the determination of their value and the consideration of a number of issues associated with the proposed sale of the harvesting rights.
As part of that process, a number of detailed financial, technical and other specialist reports were prepared for Coillte, by external specialist consultancy bodies, in full consultation with the Board of Coillte and its executive management. The Government is fully conscious of the concerns that have been raised by the general public, recreational groups, the timber processing sector, trade unions and members of the Oireachtas in relation to the Coillte sale proposal.
NewERA, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my Department have also met with the Coillte Unions and the Irish Timber Council and are currently considering the reports submitted by both of those representative groups, namely the report by Peter Bacon and Associates, commissioned by IMPACT, containing an “Assessment of the Consequences of the proposed Sale of Coillte’s Timber Harvesting Rights – 10 January 2013”, and “The impacts on the sawmill sector arising from the proposed sale of Coillte’s harvesting rights – February 2013 ”, a report by EPS Consulting for the Irish Timber Council.
On foot of these consultations, no further decision on Coillte will be made until it is discussed at cabinet.
