A TD has called on the government to consider removing the state-appointed directors of Coillte.
Speaking this morning (Monday, January 30), independent TD Carol Nolan said that the government should consider removing all of the state forestry body’s board members due to the “unprecedented levels of outrage” in response to Coillte’s partnership with Gresham House.
According to Nolan, the deal between Coillte and the UK management company would result in the latter “potentially claiming ownership of up to 100,000ha of forestry land”.
“Under the terms of Coillte’s corporate governance, all the directors are appointed to the board by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and almost all significant contracts, major investments, and capital expenditure are subject to review by this board.
“Given the near universal agreement by forestry organisations, farming organisations, and environmental groups that this deal is an unmitigated disaster, the minister [Charlie McConalogue] must consider removing the directors appointed by his office for spectacularly bad judgement,” the Laois-Offaly TD commented.
According to Nolan, the deal between Coillte and Gresham House will “push out Irish farmers and landowners and turn one of our greatest natural resources into speculative financial assets”.
She said that the partnership will not bring any clear benefit to the country or the economy.
Nolan reiterated calls for the deal to be reversed.
“The minister must intervene and he, along with Minister of State for land use and biodiversity Pippa Hackett, must have the political humility to admit that they have gotten this one horribly wrong,” Nolan added.
Since its announcement, the deal has garnered critcisim from all sides, including farm organisations, forestry groups, politicians, and environmentalists.
This criticism has extended to ministers McConalogue and Hackett.
Minister McConalogue has previously said that the deal was an “operational matter” for Coillte and that the forestry body was under no obligation to seek consent from the government before progressing with the deal.
The partnership will see the establishment of the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund, the aim of which, according to Coillte and Gresham House, is to boost afforestation levels in Ireland.