Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I want to start by reminding everyone that the emergency we are currently going through is both a climate emergency and a biodiversity emergency. This is important in the context of this discussion, particularly where Coillte is concerned. Its representatives say that Coillte manages one fifth of its estate primarily for biodiversity. I am disappointed to hear that. It falls well short of what is required. I used to live beside a Coillte forest in Donegal and I utterly hated it. The forest floor was dark. Nothing grew on it. There were no insects, butterflies or bees and consequently no frogs. The run-off from the forest made the water acidic, to the point that it would sting. In discussing reforestation and the number of hectares that are planted we need to be very careful not to repeat the mistakes of the past. As Einstein said, we do not solve our problems by repeating the mistakes that created them in the first place. We need a clear path for Coillte to pursue afforestation to the extent that is required in the country without the destruction that has happened in the west of Ireland.

Anyone who has driven through counties Donegal, Mayo, Leitrim or Galway knows that the level of Sitka spruce planting there is offensive to the eye.

I acknowledge that Ms Hurley is new to the job. In 2012, there was an attempt to privatise or part privatise Coillte. I was part of a successful campaign led by Deputy Boyd Barrett to stop the privatisation of the forests. Are there any plans to sell off part or all of Coillte to private enterprise?

One of the priority recommendations of the working committee that held several meetings on these issues was that there should be a full review conducted of Coillte. That does not form part of the Government's climate action plan, but it is something that the committee wanted to see happen. There are many legacy issues in that regard. May we see the memorandum of understanding between Coillte and Bord na Móna?

That kind of leads on to my next question, which is more for the biologists, scientists and eco people. There is a concern that reforestation of the wetlands may have a net negative effect on sequestration and carbon emissions because bogs and wetlands sequester more carbon than trees potentially do. If we are going to plant trees on the wetlands, will there be a net impact on our CO2 emissions? Would it not be better to focus on regenerating the bogs? Of course, if one does so, the problem is what one says to farmers and others in places such as Leitrim and Mayo in the west of Ireland. It seems that most of the incentive for reforestation is not going to small farmers of the sort shown in the "Ear to the Ground" television programme which featured a lovely farm where trees, cattle and sheep mixed together because there was a lot of space between the trees. The Department referred to that model. Where is the financial incentive for the poorer smaller farmers to gain from such reforestation? All the incentives seem to be going one way. A resident of County Leitrim interviewed on the RTÉ "CountryWide" radio programme stated that Norwegian and Danish investment funds are buying up land. There are approximately four such funds operating in his village. Some regular people who have money are buying up the land around the country in order to make more money. The residents of the village do not want any more Sitka spruce planted. As was pointed out, 18.9% of County Leitrim is afforested, most of it with Sitka spruce. To reach the national target of 18%, are we going to further saturate places such as County Leitrim? According to the man interviewed in that recent edition of "CountryWide", global companies are buying up land in poorer areas to plant more forestry. I would like all or any of the witnesses to try to answer my questions.

On a lighter note, something struck me when Mr. Murphy referred to Forest Industries Ireland making wood pellets: was it involved in the cash-for-ash scandal?