Coordinator of Just Forests Tom Roche said: “At a time when natural resources are shrinking and global populations are expanding rapidly, Ireland must become self-sufficient in timber and wood product needs. This announcement will help us to achieve this urgently-needed self-sufficiency.”
“Plans by the outgoing government to sell off Coillte have been scrapped entirely”, according to the Labor Party spokesman Sean Sherlock, T.D., in a press statement issued on Tuesday 8th March, 2011.
Deputy Sherlock went on to say: “Labour is on record as opposing the sell-off of Coillte.”
Many Irish voiced their objections when it became clear that Fianna Fail were hoping to sell our public forests off to some international fund management company.
The Programme for Government, clearly states that Bord Na Mona will be merged with Coillte to form BioEnergy a new state company, and there is no proposal in the document to sell this company off. In addition we will accelerate the development of Ireland’s forestry and bioenergies and Ireland to become a global leader in the commercialisation of next generation bio-energy technologies, including an annual 14,700 hectare afforestation programme.
The Programme for Government makes it clear that Coillte is to remain in public ownership as part of a merged bio-energy company.
The United Nations have designated 2011 as The International Year of Forests (IYF 2011). Visit our website for more on this - http://www.justforests.org/2011-the-international-year-of-forests