Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 25 January 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Here is the issue. The new state aid rules are in place since 1 January. My question was on what the Minister had done proactively to try to ensure the state aid rules would address what Coillte had said was the reason it was engaging in this way and needed the private element to its funding, which related to the state aid rules. I pointed to a written record that shows the Department, when it had an opportunity to consult with the European Commission, did not make reference to that issue. I have asked that if there is any written record, perhaps it could be provided. I am conscious of the timeframe. As it happens, the new state aid rules on first reading, and we will look for clarification, contain significant changes to the 2014 rules as they were and to my eye, will allow for Coillte to invest directly. Considering that Coillte has stated the reason it needs the public private partnership element is due to the state aid rules and given that the state aid rules that came into place on 1 January may allow it to invest directly, what the hell was Coillte doing signing a contract on 16 December - a mere fortnight before the new state aid rules came into place - that has been universally rejected? I ask that question and I will ask my final question in case the Chairman does not allow me to.

Knowing what we now know, and knowing what the Minister has said in respect of preferred options and all the rest and the realities as to what these deals look like for communities and the resistance the forestry sector and farmers have quite clearly let known, and the unanimity of this committee and I think virtually everybody across both Houses of the Oireachtas, will the Minister now issue a new letter of expectation to Coillte instructing it not to engage further in these types of deals? That way at least we can draw a line. We can argue about the Gresham House deal, and I believe fundamentally the Minister can stop it, in respect of future deals the Minister undoubtedly can do so, by issuing a letter of expectation. My question is, will the Minister do that?

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.