Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the sale of Coillte and State forests, and forthcoming legislation to give effect to that, I read at the weekend that sources in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are now indicating the Government may have reversed its decision to proceed with the sale of woods owned by Coillte. Is that now off the table? It would be a retrograde step; the forests are an enormous economic and a significant environmental resource with implications in terms of meeting climate change targets in future. Thousands of families and walking clubs enjoy the amenities the forests provide. The sense is that once the sale of forests starts, the freedom to enjoy those amenities will be extremely limited and it might not be the most economic use of a valuable medium to long-term resource, as pointed out in the report in The Sunday Times. A reply to a parliamentary question on the privatisation of State assets did not mention the sale of forests. The Minister said in the last hour that he still supports the sale of Coillte's forests. Will the Taoiseach confirm that is on the legislative programme?

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