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

However, I believe there will be huge pressures on all Ministers, present and future, in this area. Sadly, the media are not terribly interested in this debate as it no longer is controversial because Coillte will not be sold. However, I believe that as a big milestone is the potential merger of Coillte with Bord na Móna and what this may mean.

It involves substantial resources, the value and importance of which will increase at every level. The value of these resources is understood in some quarters, for example, in banks which invest heavily in forests. In the aftermath of a period of financial speculation on a virtual economy and the economic crash, there is an increasing awareness of the value of real things such as natural resources. Forestry is an extremely important resource and, as such, future Ministers will come under severe pressure from industry, multinational companies and many other sectors that wish to exploit our natural resources. Against that background, we must set in legislation a requirement to establish a consultative committee with genuinely balanced and broad representation, with which the Minister would consult in deciding how to approach this issue and deal with the pressures he or she will face. This is necessary to ensure citizens, communities, history and heritage do not lose out.

I have not taken an inflexible approach. My amendment does not specify that the committee must include a certain number of environmentalists, trade unions, members of walking groups, etc. It offers the Minister flexibility, while spelling out that he or she must establish a committee with balanced representation whose approach, broadly speaking, would be informed by the Rio principles.

I will press the amendment because the decision on this issue will have significant consequences for the management of forestry. I hope the Minister of State will consider accepting it, although I am certain he will not do so.

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