Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have some sympathy with the Deputies' proposition that State forests should be retained in public ownership, but not for the overly emotive reasons they advanced. I am interested in exploring the possibilities of synergies between Coillte and Bord na Móna in creating a bioenergy company, for example. It has nothing to do, however, with the fact that Coillte is profitable. Bord Gáis Éireann's energy division is profitable and will be put on the market as a result of the requirements of the programme with the troika which are very explicit that there must be an asset disposal programme. If the Deputies want to exclude the harvesting rights in Coillte, perhaps then they will list for me which companies they would like to see included in the asset disposal programme.

It is a fact that such a programme is required by the only lender that the State has. It is not a question of ideology, privatisation or lust on someone's part in government to want to sell the harvesting rights. It is an attempt to comply with strictures laid down by the troika. We have made some progress in respect of these because 50% of the proceeds of whatever is sold will be made available for re-investment and job creation.

See this speech in context