Results 18,081-18,100 of 24,010 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I have heard it all now.

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: They are Independents. They want to have it every way. They are even opposing their own motion now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Chair and the committee members for the invitation to today’s meeting. I am glad to be here with the Minister of State and her team, the departmental team and the forestry leadership team to discuss our forest strategy and the overall direction of forestry policy with members of the committee. We are discussing the Government’s approach to expanding, protecting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The statement was sent in previously but I can get a copy of the opening statement I gave.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I can provide my copy to have copies made.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I will answer first and then the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, will come in. It is important to trace how this has evolved. It has evolved, first, from Coillte's desire to become involved in afforestation once again which we fully support. It stopped afforesting back in 2004. It played a massive role in getting forestry up and running in this country and being a key driver in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I will outline that but I just want the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, to come in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Does the Deputy mean this deal with Gresham House?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: At the start of January. I was aware from the end of 2021 of Coillte's plans to afforest and engage in securing private investment for-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: This became public at the start of January. The chair of Coillte wrote to me on 16 December outlining and confirming that it had signed off on a deal with Gresham House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The deal was already done at that stage. The changeover in ministerial duties occurred on 17 December, which was the next day, and the following week was Christmas, so it was the start of January that I turned my attention to this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I should have said that the letter Coillte wrote informing me was dated 16 December, which was when Coillte sent it, but that was after Coillte had signed off on the deal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Minister of State might comment as well, but as I outlined at the start, I was aware that Coillte was going to engage with private investment in order to enable it to do the 100,000 ha when I was given a pre-briefing at the end of 2021. It was common knowledge throughout last year. Coillte published its strategic vision in April where it made that clear. Newspaper coverage of same at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I only became aware of the deal after it was done. Coillte is contractually committed to it and has an obligation to it. The deal represents 3.5% of Coillte's total ambition between now and 2050. Having examined the deal with Coillte, it is not our preferred option. We are looking to see how the State can partner directly with Coillte and are considering options for it to partner with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As of 16 December, Coillte was contractually obliged. To the Deputy, any other Member of the Oireachtas or anyone engaged in the forestry sector who was paying attention to Coillte's publicly advertised plans to use private investment to help it afforest, the principle that it was going to engage private investment was well known and open knowledge. Obviously, the tendering process to put...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My opening statement is the one I delivered at this meeting and is the one I put together. I understand the public's position on this. The public have made their view clear and I have listened to them. With the Minister of State, I have also met Coillte about this matter. Our preferred option is for Coillte to engage with public bodies about public lands, with the State and with farmers....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We are all in the same position on this, Deputy Carthy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Let me answer the questions and you can ask them, Deputy. Coillte made it clear to the Deputy as well as to the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, and anyone else it engaged with, that there were a number of ways in which it would try to step up to its 100,000 ha afforestation target. One of those was to engage with private investment. It then proceeded with that and engaged with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: -----with the State.