Written answers

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Departmental Contracts

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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237. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a list of all the contracts between Coillte and other State agencies; the total amount of funding from all State agencies transferred to Coillte since 1989; any cost benefit analysis or reviews related to State funding of Coillte; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35363/14]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Coillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as contractual arrangements and sources of funding, are the responsibility of the company.  As a commercial company, Coillte is required to publish Annual Accounts, copies of which are laid before each House of the Oireachtas, in accordance with the Forestry Act 1988. Coillte’s Annual Report 2013 was accordingly laid before the Houses on 30 June last. I wish to advise that Note 28 to those Financial Statements outline the sales and purchases of goods, property and services to entities controlled by the Irish Government.

While such contracts are operational matters for the company, a list was, however, also sought from the company. Coillte have advised that it was not possible in the time available to provide a “list of all the contracts between Coillte and other State agencies” as this would need to be clearly defined. The company further advised that the Coillte Group sold goods, property and services to RTE and the ESB in 2013 in the normal course of business but that a range of contracts would exist, some of which involve consideration being paid to Coillte for goods and services and some of which involve Coillte making payments.

In relation to the total amount of funding from all State agencies transferred to Coillte since 1989, Coillte advise that it has received some €12.4 million – mostly in relation to its provision of forest recreational facilities. I am advised that €1.4 million was from the Irish Sports Council in respect of Trail Managers Programme, €1.4 million was received and managed by Coillte on behalf of the Dublin Mountain Partnership while some €9.6m has been received from Fáilte Ireland. This latter amount encompassed funding for their development of Lough Key Forest Park in conjunction with Roscommon County Council and capital funding towards forest recreation infrastructure.

With reference to the undertaking of cost benefit analyses relating to such funding, Coillte and the Heritage Council have conducted research to evaluate the public goods value of three important services – Biodiversity/ Nature, Landscape and Cultural Heritage. These were found to have a cumulative value of over €500 million, with Biodiversity/Nature estimated to be €322 million, landscape to be €96 million and cultural heritage to be €92 million. Information on the valuation of such public goods, and case studies so illustrating, is available on the Publications page of the Coillte website. The Final report, from 2005, of a study on the economic value of trails and forest recreation jointly commissioned by Coillte and the Irish Sports Council is also available on the website.

Coillte have also advised that they are happy to engage directly with the Deputy to discuss the issues raised.

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