Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

Since the Forestry Act 1988 and before it there was a drive in some parts of the country to take on forestry. In my own part, over 50% of some parishes are under forestry. There is a significant concern about the issue and it is vital to make a distinction between the Minister's comments and the notion debated on the public airwaves and elsewhere that Coillte land is for sale. Whatever the recommendations from the various bodies reporting on the sale of assets, it is vital that the land be kept in State ownership. It was sold to Coillte for minimal prices 20 or 25 years ago and it was never envisaged that the land would go to outsiders. I caution against such action. The Minister should also take account of what such action would mean to peripheral regions in the country which have given, in some cases, more than 50% of the land to afforestation.

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