Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I do not dispute that matters are progressing and that, hopefully, we have moved substantially from the era when decisions were made at the top and people were seen as a problem and an obstacle. There is improvement, but there is still a way to go in that regard. Some of the suspicions and concerns still exist, so we must move it forward and it would be useful to have a clear commitment in the Bill.

Again, this raises the spectre of Coillte. This is not to cast aspersions on the people in Coillte, but there is concern about them being the owner of all of these forests and a concern that when many decisions are being made, people outside do not really know what is happening. That criticism comes from many different sectors. There is an imperative to overcome that and to have real information flow and real participation, not just consultation. Participation in decisions from a broad spectrum of stakeholders is quite important.

Finally, with regard to Gougane Barra, was there consultation?

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