Micheál Martin
Ceist:14. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach his legislative priorities for 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9701/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 30 April 2013
Ceisteanna (14)
Freagraí ó Béal (30 píosaí cainte)
The legislative priorities of the Government for the current Dáil session are set out in the legislation programme which was published on 16 April last. The Government will as usual publish its legislation programme at the beginning of each session throughout the remainder of the 31st Dáil.
With regard to my Department, the priority will be the preparation of legislation to enable a referendum to be held on the abolition of the Seanad later in the year. That Bill will be published in this session.
My Department is also preparing proposals to place the NESC on a statutory basis, thereby dissolving the NESDO.
On the sale of Coillte and State forests, and forthcoming legislation to give effect to that, I read at the weekend that sources in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are now indicating the Government may have reversed its decision to proceed with the sale of woods owned by Coillte. Is that now off the table? It would be a retrograde step; the forests are an enormous economic and a significant environmental resource with implications in terms of meeting climate change targets in future. Thousands of families and walking clubs enjoy the amenities the forests provide. The sense is that once the sale of forests starts, the freedom to enjoy those amenities will be extremely limited and it might not be the most economic use of a valuable medium to long-term resource, as pointed out in the report in The Sunday Times. A reply to a parliamentary question on the privatisation of State assets did not mention the sale of forests. The Minister said in the last hour that he still supports the sale of Coillte's forests. Will the Taoiseach confirm that is on the legislative programme?
The Government set out its stall in respect of the memorandum of understanding about the possibility of the sale of State assets. Originally, the troika required that any revenue coming from the sale of State assets would have to go in its entirety to debt reduction. Following a number adjustments to the programme and having built up a strong relationship between the troika and both Ministers, that was changed. The Government has since approved the setting up of the NewERA entity to deal with evaluations and assessments for potential sales of State assets. The Government has not made any decision about the decision to sell, other than to list a number of opportunities for the sale of State assets. One of those, of course, was Coillte. Work is proceeding on the assessment and valuation of this and a number of other assets. I would not be too far gone on reports in the newspapers.
So the policy is to continue with the sale?
The Government set out a list of potential assets that could be sold, including Coillte. That situation has not changed.
Is any legislation planned in light of the Supreme Court judgment yesterday in the case of Marie Fleming, a constituent of mine, on the assisted suicide issue? It clearly seemed, as the Chief Justice stated in his summation, that the ball is firmly back in the court of the Oireachtas.
No legislation is contemplated in that area.
I met the troika on Friday and it stated that as far as it understood it, there was a commitment to sell off the harvesting rights to Coillte.
Correct.
The Taoiseach is saying it is being considered. Could the Taoiseach clarify for the House if it is a commitment or a consideration of a commitment? That is what we want to know and, more importantly, that is what the thousands of people who came out to Wicklow from all over the country at the weekend want to know. Is the Government required to do this under the troika programme? If so, when? Will there be legislation to do this? We would like to hear the Government is not required to do this but the troika told us on Friday that it is in the programme and the Taoiseach had not given any indication that commitment was changing. Could the Taoiseach clarify this? Is the Government going ahead with the sale of the harvesting rights of our public forest estate, which the people do not want the Government to do, or is it not? If it is, when will happen and when will the legislation come forward?
The article on Sunday said the Minister was pulling back from the sale of the harvesting rights. Fianna Fáil met the troika on Friday and it said in the second memorandum that was negotiated, it was clarified that the sale of State assets is entirely a matter for the Government. The first memorandum only talked about a review of the situation but stated that it was entirely up to the Government to decide what assets to sell, if it wanted to sell them. I would like clarification on whether it is Government policy to proceed with the sale of the harvesting rights of State forests to private companies. That has wider implications than we might think, given what we have read from the sources close to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform who seem to be endeavouring to pour cold water on the idea. Clarity is urgently required on the Government's priorities in that regard because many people are concerned about this, including those who use the forests for recreational, sporting and outdoor pursuits who feel their rights will be traversed. If this proceeds, the economic dimension has not been fully fleshed out and the environment damage remains unquantified. The State forestry is one of the most important climate change abatement instruments we have.
Would the Taoiseach agree the position is that the policy has been declared that the harvesting rights of Coillte might be sold? That has been examined by the Government to see how it is possible and if it is feasible. The Minister, when he was questioned in detail in the House on this recently, outlined the real difficulties that had been found in seeking to implement that policy. The difficulties were such that he was doubtful the policy could be implemented. I am perhaps putting words in his mouth, but that was the thrust of his remarks. There are real difficulties in implementing this policy and they are still being examined.
I am on to something so.
I call Deputy McDonald.
Deputy Martin was not here the day that happened.
We know that-----
Through the Chair. Deputy McDonald, without interruption.
There is a good man here.
I call Deputy McDonald. The time is up.
We know that the troika has made clear from the get-go in respect of the sale of any asset or licence on behalf of the State that the decision rests entirely with Government and any attempt to seek refuge behind the cloak of the troika or to insinuate that it is making the Government sell off Bord Gáis Energy or any of the other assets is not true. It has been remarked in recent times that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, has backed off the issue of selling the harvesting rights of Coillte and-----
He has not told the Taoiseach.
-----I can only surmise from the conditionality that the Taoiseach is building into his responses, echoed by Deputy Stagg, that in fact there is a change of heart afoot within Government. If that is the case, it is very much to be welcomed but it would be great if the Taoiseach could say that out loud here today in the Dáil.
I am not sure what Deputy McDonald means by convictionality. It is an unusual term.
Conditionality.
Of course, when shortened, it means something else. In any event, the position here is that the Government set out a list of potential assets belonging to the State that could be sold to help deal with our debt problems and whatever. These were discussed by the troika. The NewERA entity has done much work in evaluating the potential of the sale of the list of assets that were deemed liable for consideration in that regard, and that work continues. It will be a matter for the Government as to what assets are sold and it will be a matter for the Government as to when they should be sold and, if the Government decides to make that decision, in what fashion.
I take Deputy Stagg's point of view. As these matters evolve and are evaluated and discussed, the situation can become clear or whatever else.
The Minister, Deputy Howlin, did not tell the Taoiseach.
The Taoiseach is getting flaky.
There will be no decision to the contrary in any of these until the Government considers the evaluations carried out by the NewERA entity in these matters-----
When will that happen?
-----and that work is still ongoing.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.