The Cabinet’s decision not to proceed with the sale of Coillte’s harvesting rights has been welcomed with “relief” and “delight” respectively by two of the organisations which had campaigned against it.
Trade union Impact, which represents some 600 Coillte staff, said the decision “represented a commonsense approach, which would save taxpayers’ money and lift threats to rural jobs, tourism, and public access to Coillte forests”.
Impact initiated a Save our Forests campaign last year, and commissioned a report from economist Peter Bacon which concluded that the proposed sell-off would cost the State €1.3 billion – almost twice as much as it could hope to raise in a sale.
The Irish Timber Council had also expressed opposition to the proposed sale and published a report earlier this year outlining the potential negative impacts on the sawmill sector, which employs 2,500 people and is said to be worth €2.2 billion to the economy annually.
“Coillte sustains thousands of jobs in the timber, tourism and wood products industries, returns significant sums to the Exchequer each year, and provides a fantastic resource to the public, with 18 million visits to Coillte forests each year,“Impact general secretary Matt Staunton said.
” Coillte staff are enthusiastic about contributing to and further enhancing this contribution to Ireland’s environment and economy,” he said.
Mountaineering Ireland chief executive Karl Boyle expressed delight at the decision and said it represented a “massive win” for the many climbers and hillwalkers affiliated to it who had campaigned against the proposal.
However, he cautioned that recreation management and certainty of access to large tracts of land should be copperfastened in the proposed merger of Coillte with Bord na Mona.
“We would also like to see consultation being a part of any further proposals, given Coillte’s Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification,” Mr Boyle said.
Coillte has held FSC certification for the past decade, and was given its second FSC audit in April of this year. The FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.
Socialist Party deputy Joe Higgins said the retreat by the Government on the proposed sale of harvesting rights was welcome, but pressure should be stepped up to maintain Bord Gais and the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) in full State ownership.
“This announcement is welcome and can be entirely attributed to the huge opposition of ordinary people to the sell off of the state’s forests,” Mr Higgins said.
“ This u-turn should serve to encourage people opposed to the austerity agenda that such struggle can bring rewards,” he added.
However, Mr Higgins said Mr Coveney’s references to “restructuring” and “streamlining” and a possible merger with Bord na Mona could be euphemisms for “sackings and everything else that we have seen before in the likes of Eircom and Aer Lingus”.
Fianna Fáil spokesman on Community Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív TD welcomed the announcement by the Government that it had reversed its decision. Mr Ó Cuív said the Government had finally decided to listen to reason.