Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

We had the publication of Coillte's profits and, regrettably, the trajectory is going in the wrong direction. The profits for 2009 are approximately €4 million. Given that we have legally binding targets to meet in respect of reducing our CO2 emissions, does the Minister not believe it is financially questionable - I believe it beggars belief - that the State would facilitate investment of scarce resources into nursing homes at a time when, if we do not invest in the core objective of Coillte, that is, afforestation and other biomass initiatives, we will be penalised financially? Coillte should be using every spare euro it has to drive the afforestation programme, which is way off target. It is fine to have 10,000 hectares under the renewed programme for Government but I remind the Minister that in 1994 we planted 20,000 hectares. In 2009, however, we planted 6,500 hectares. How will we increase that figure to 10,000 if we do not insist that Coillte drives all its resources into its core objective, which is afforestation?

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