Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

One wonders whether this committee is reflective of the Dáil. If so, how did Coillte get on the list of State resources to be considered for privatisation? When the Government came to power, a list was drawn up of what was going to be flogged. Coillte was on the list commissioned by the Minister for Finance of the previous Government. I come from County Clare, the third most afforested county in Ireland in terms of the size of its estate and the proportion of the county that is afforested. I would have many concerns about the impact of the sale of harvesting rights. However, the status quo is not good either. Deputy Ó Cuív referred to Coillte's remit as a national forestry board, but Coillte does not perform that function as matters stand. Forestry's social and economic dividends in Clare do not reflect Coillte's supposed function. There is no requirement to provide a social dividend to communities in which there are forestries.

I appreciate the importance of harvesting, but does any witness have a long-term supply contract with Coillte, that is, one of more than ten years? If so, do those set a particular price? Companies in my hometown and throughout Ireland would operate tomorrow morning if they received a security of supply guarantee from Coillte. Not only will Coillte not provide security of supply, but it will not agree to supply at a particular price over ten years. Who would invest in any sector if there was no security of supply or price?

I share the concerns of witnesses and am opposed to the privatisation of Coillte. I would also be concerned by any proposal on the sale of forestry rights. That said, I do not support the status quo. The State forestry sector is not properly managed. There is no evidence of proper management where I live, which is on the edge of one of the country's largest plantations. It stretches from Scariff to Gort to Loughrea and back to Scariff again.

I would welcome the witnesses' answers on security of supply, ten-year price guarantees and what can be done in that regard to generate an industry around the existing forestry.