Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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495. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can explain the reason a Coillte-owned company (details supplied) based in Clonmel is charging all its Irish MDF customers more expensive prices for its products compared to its customers in England. [6000/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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496. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to confirm the directors appointed by his office to the board of Coillte; if he has had engagements with these directors from December 2022 to date; if he has communicated the Government's dissatisfaction with a company's (details supplied) deal to these directors; if he considers the positions of the directors appointed by his office to be tenable following the deal between Coillte and the company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6089/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Minister and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The Forestry Act 1988 sets out the governance of Coillte and provides that the number of Directors shall be not more than nine. Directors, with the exception of the one worker Director on the Board and the CEO where appointed, are selected through a competitive Public Appointments Service process for new Board members. Each Director is then appointed by the shareholding Ministers i.e. the Minister with responsibility for forestry and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. 

In terms of engagement, the Chair of Coillte wrote to Minister of State Hackett and I on 16th December, 2022 advising of the launch of the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund. The CEO of Coillte followed up at with a letter of 19th December regarding the launch date for the Fund.

A meeting between myself, Minister Hackett and senior representatives of Coillte, including the Chair and CEO, was held on 19th January, 2023 to discuss Coillte's progress in developing and implementing its long- term strategic vision to 2050 and in particular Coillte's contribution to the nation's afforestation targets in line with Government policy. 

As to the question of the Directors of the Board, I advise that I have confidence in the Board and we will continue to work closely with them in regards to the continued good governance of Coillte and to encourage Coillte's contribution to afforestation.