Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Coillte for its presentation. Unusually for a presentation, we got much information in bullet format and there is much to be digested.

Last year, Coillte sold 1.7 million cu. m of logs and planted 18 million trees. How much of those were bought from private operators and how much were grown by Coillte? How does that break down between being bought from partnerships or from wholly owned Coillte sites?

Will the witnesses elaborate on the section of the presentation on land solutions? What part does Coillte feel it has to play in this? It stated it would plant 18 million trees in 2017, up 30% from 2014. Was this the target or what was the target? Is Coillte ahead of target or is it behind target?

On sustainable forest management, bogs, uplands, native forests and rare habitats, what are Coillte's views on the bogs Bord na Móna has and the role it has to play in biodiversity? Does Coillte believe we are fully realising the potential of these lands with regard to the climate change targets we must meet?

Bord na Móna plans to invest €60 million in wood chip production in Georgia in the United States and to bring it back to Ireland for burning. What is Coillte's view of the economic benefit of such a scheme? With regard to Coillte's plans to expand acreage and increase the potential of our forestry sector, it is utter madness to invest in such a plant in the United States. Shipping wood products back here to burn is like taking coal to Newcastle. I cannot see how that can be of benefit for meeting any climate change targets.

There is a blanket ban on afforestation on hen harrier lands. Has Coillte tried to get common sense into this analysis? There have been some discussions about a new scheme for hen harrier lands. There is a strong scientific case that different stages of forestry growth would be for the benefit of the hen harrier. In Tipperary, vast tracts of land have been made worthless by various hen harrier regulations put in place. As a State body, does Coillte believe we can win this argument?

I have had a number of calls from private forestry farmers unhappy with Coillte. One point was on insurance coverage for forestry. The understanding was that it was Coillte's responsibility but the farmers felt the onus was put on them. They also felt they had no say on when thinnings would occur or when the trees would be cut down. They felt it was a pig in a poke not knowing if they were getting value for money. If this kind of relationship is to work, there will have to be more communication between Coillte and their partnership members. There is a distinct lack of trust, with the private operators feeling they are not getting a fair crack of the whip.

Several months ago a private operator, who employed eight people, told me Coillte had stopped purchasing forestry thinnings from him. As he had nowhere else to sell them, he had built up a serious tonnage of thinnings. Are there times when Coillte refuses to take thinnings off private operators?

Several weeks ago I attended a meeting with the Minister, the Department and interested forestry stakeholders about the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, mid-term review. Some stakeholders are unhappy with the proposed changes from Brussels and what greater financial incentives will be put in place. What is Coillte's view on the mid-term review? Are there any proposals it would like to see included in it?

The presentation was detailed. The company's performance is good and forestry has significant potential for our economy. I am a farmer by trade and I believe forestry has its place in farming. However, the barriers being put on where we can plant forestry are ridiculous, meaning it will never compete with commercial farming. If we are to meet our climate change targets, our attitude to unenclosed land, as Deputy McConalogue said, has to change. I cannot see the logic of these blanket bans or of making it very difficult to plant unenclosed land.