Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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190. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if only qualified Coillte Teoranta instructors are permitted to provide chainsaw courses on Coillte-owned property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18635/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, 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 the provision of training to its staff, are the responsibility of the company.

Coillte has, however, confirmed that only qualified Coillte Teoranta instructors are permitted to provide chainsaw courses on Coillte owned property. Coillte advise that it made the decision not to facilitate requests from private training companies/instructors to provide such training on their forest estate predominantly due to the level of risk associated with the uncertainty around the accreditation of those performing the training and the commercial viability of the business case.