Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Once again, Fine Gael has shown its true colours. It is the party of privatisation, its political allies are rich investment funds and the only reason it cares about the environment relates to whether it can make a euro out of it. I am deeply concerned, as are many of my constituents. I recently dealt with Coillte in regard to a forest near Watergrasshill that has been sold to a private company, which will turn the forest into a site for agricultural composting. The locals who walk in and explore the forest with their families and children are very disappointed. Coillte told me there are non-native trees in this forest and that it has exceeded its carbon life span and will begin to do damage to the soil. It told me it will replant trees to replace the ones that were felled, but not in my constituency. We are talking about forests of which my constituents want to be part being lost to both them and future generations. Rewilding projects can have a significant impact, and while many of them are in their infancy, we can see their clear potential.

What the Minister and the Minister of State are doing is like what Fine Gael tried to do when it tried to privatise water and what Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil did when they tried to privatise housing. People cannot buy houses now because vulture funds and cuckoo funds are buying up entire developments of apartments and houses for profit, and that is on those parties’ watch. If people who are watching this debate want to know what the difference between us and them is, it is that Fine Gael, supported by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, will sell the future of the people to investment funds. Why? It does not make economic sense. This land belongs to the people and the Government is selling it and giving it away, in the way it tried to do with water and has done with housing.

To conclude, I say shame on the Green Party. It is supposed to stand up for ordinary people, but by supporting Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael it is selling out its true supporters and members. I ask the Minister of State to reconsider her party's position on this.

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