Senator: Coillte decision a 'strange deletion'
Senator Malcolm Noonan has questioned Coillte's decision to “absorb the work” of Coillte Nature, the company's not-for-profit branch.
Noonan told Agriland that he was "puzzled" by the decision, and questioned how it aligns with Coillte's Forest Estate Strategic Land Use Plan 2023-2050.
The plan indicated that Coillte Nature would be used to deliver significant climate and nature solutions through innovative projects-of-scale including afforestation of land to create new native woodland, rehabilitation of critical ecosystem services and restoration of important biodiversity habitats.
Senator Noonan praised the work of Coillte Nature since it was established in 2019.
He said: "Coillte Nature is specifically referenced as having a direct role for nature restoration in the Coillte company, particularly they did a lot of work on the Dublin mountains makeover, western peatlands, and the midlands.
"The question we have is, what’s going to happen to these projects?
"The biggest challenge for Coillte, is how they are going to bring the nature restoration element, which is a not-for-profit element of their work, into Coillte forest which is a commercial division of their works, which has a real challenge on its hand in its own right trying to meet forestry targets," he added.
Speaking in the Seanad Noonan said the decision was a "very strange and quiet deletion from the company's business plan and strategy".
"I am conscious that there was an interregnum between the outgoing government and the formation of the new one. Could Coillte not have waited until a new government was formed to engage with relevant ministers?" Noonan said.
"At a time when we are in the depths of a biodiversity crisis, is this a bad business management plan by Coillte? How will it impact on the business model? That is a lot of questions and, as the previous speaker noted, our committees are not yet up and running, so there is not an opportunity to engage directly with Coillte on this."
In a statement to Agriland, Coillte said its strategy has "evolved significantly" since Coillte Nature was set up in 2022.
"Given the scale of Coillte’s strategic vision, specifically its climate and nature ambitions to 2050, this reorganisation will enable Coillte to significantly increase its delivery of climate and nature restoration projects," the statement said.
"Coillte aims to ensure a fully integrated approach to all nature and biodiversity projects going forward thereby effectively delivering on its long-term ambitions," it added.
