Sale of State Assets

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2013

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Ceisteanna (155)

Robert Dowds

Ceist:

155. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being taken to ensure the continued open access for recreation to land owned by Coillte in the context of the sale of parts of Coillte to private interests; if he plans to write into any sale agreement that there must be access to Coillte owned land for recreational users after the sale takes place, that car parks must be kept open, and that any damage to paths by machinery is repaired; and his view on the importance of land access to Coillte lands for recreational users [5407/13]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney)

With reference to the Government decision, in the context of the asset disposal programme, that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte’s forests be put forward for sale, 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. Public access to recreational land is one of the issues so identified which requires detailed consideration. The outcome of the overall analysis will be considered by the Government upon its conclusion and no decision has been taken, as yet. I wish to assure the Deputy that any sale will take account of public access to recreational land.