Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

When the UK Government proposed to dispose of its public forests there was a public outcry in England.

An independent panel was established to review the proposal and to consult the people concerned. It now appears that the proposal will not proceed. Consulting people is not something we do very well. I attended a meeting in Gorey on Monday last at which people were protesting about the downgrading of the Garda station in the town. Those who were present and who will be affected by this decision were extremely angry that the Government never thought to consult them. There was no consultation whatever. One could be forgiven for thinking that we live in a democracy.

Coillte is a major employer and it is particularly important at present given that employment opportunities are scarce. The Bacon report estimates that job losses in Coillte could cost the State in the region of €19 million. The ten companies which comprise the Irish Timber Council are 100% dependent on Coillte for the raw materials necessary to run their businesses. Some 2,500 people are employed in the timber sector in areas where employment prospects are poor. The Irish Timber Council has highlighted the fact that the purchase of harvesting rights could export some or all of the product which emanates from our forests, thus depriving the sawmill sector of critical raw material. The council has argued that "Allowing a purchaser to export significant volumes of unprocessed sawlog would force the closure of every sawmill in the country with consequent job losses in rural communities, deprive the Exchequer of revenue and force the building materials sector to import higher cost materials".

The assessment carried out by Peter Bacon & Associates on behalf of IMPACT indicates that the sale of harvesting rights would cost the State €1.3 billion and concludes that the economic rationale for the proposed sale of those rights no longer stands up and cannot be justified. In London last year, President Michael D. Higgins stated that privatisation of public services is the road back to autocracy. Surely it would make more sense to resist pressure from the troika to sell the harvesting rights relating to our forests, reform a badly-operated Coillte and strengthen this valuable asset for the benefit of the State and its citizens.

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