Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome today's discussion and debate around the opportunity to further analyse and scrutinise the new national forestry programme announced on 3 November 2022. I acknowledge the massive €1.3 billion investment in forestry, particularly for rural communities, secured by my colleagues, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister of State, Senator Hackett. The forestry programme will help us to achieve many of Ireland's national environmental priorities. Forestry has a crucial role to play in meeting Ireland's climate targets, as well as addressing the decline in biodiversity. The recent national debate around Coillte has raised important concerns and questions about how we implement this new forestry programme.

Coillte was established in 1988 as a semi-State commercial business. The organisation employs approximately 900 people and manages about half of the forested land in Ireland. While commercial forestry and the production of lumber for construction will be critical into the future to assist us to meet our climate obligations, national priorities around forestry have changed and Coillte's objectives must also change. As noted by other speakers, Ireland must increase forest cover by approximately 400,000 ha by 2050, as set out in the forestry programme. It is critical that at least half of this afforestation is in the form of native woodland. There is public benefit to this, which must be recognised by Coillte.

The Coillte-Gresham House deal about which we have spoken at length today involves the planting of 3,500 ha for new forestry out of an overall objective of 400,000 ha. I understand the background to this deal cited by Coillte around EU state aid rules but I have concerns about the concentration of land ownership and the impact this would have on rural communities. If the deal cannot be reversed, it is clear from listening to colleagues, constituents and stakeholders that we do not want to see this format expanded. I welcome the commitment from the Minister that Coillte will re-engage with farming communities. Farmers should be at the heart of our forestry programme. It is essential, as Deputy Farrell referenced, that there is buy-in from farmers to attract people to afforestation. Increased subsidies are justified, particularly where there is public access to land and biodiversity is improved.

I welcome today's debate. The national conversation that is taking place around forestry and the role of landowners and their inclusion is important. Now that the debate is happening, there is greater awareness around the role of Coillte and its intentions in respect of the forestry programme. The programme is essential. There have been calls in this House for a programme for a number of years. The Government has brought forward this plan. It is relatively new. I know the Minister and the Ministers of State are engaging and listening to various groups and stakeholders, which is important. I await the Minister's response.

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