The minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been asked by a fellow Fianna Fáil TD if he will appoint “independent investigators” to examine complaints made against Coillte.
The Carlow-Kilkenny TD, John McGuinness, asked Minister Charlie McConalogue, in a parliamentary question, if he would set out his department’s position “on the impasse between Coillte and its forestry partners relative to the terms of the agreement with each land owner and the implementation of a forest management plan”.
Deputy McGuinness also asked Minister McConalogue if he would request the comptroller and auditor general, “or an outside competent body to examine the accounts of Coillte and their corporate governance structures”.
In response, the minister said that Coillte was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988.
He also detailed that “day-to-day operational matters, such as the Coillte Farm Partnership Scheme, are the responsibility of the company”.
Coillte
According to Minister McConalogue, Coillte has a farm partnership portfolio of 644 farm partnerships – which accounts for over 12,000/ha of “highly-productive forests”.
The minister added: “Coillte’s farm partnership forests are well-managed to create sustainable, valuable assets for both the farm partner and Coillte. The vast majority of these partnerships are working well.
“Coillte has also advised my department that it works with all its farm partners to resolve any issues they may have.
“However, in a small number of cases, farm partners have raised issues such as poor communication and transparency of information. Coillte has worked hard to improve engagement and address any concerns raised.”
Arbitration
Minister McConalogue also confirmed to Deputy McGuinness that “there are a small number of farm partners who have signed a submission to arbitration” – which is the dispute mechanism within the contract agreements.
“Coillte shares concerns around the prolonged nature, and indeed the cost, of the arbitration process”, he added.
“However, the progress of an arbitration rests with the legal representatives of both partners, and the parties are bound by the terms of the arbitration once a partner has initiated this process.”
According to the minister, Coillte recently communicated to each farm partner further “improvements around engagement and data sharing”.
“I am satisfied that any issues will be resolved in due course, through the appropriate channels, and that it should be left now to both partners in the agreements to resolve them together,” Minster McConalogue added.