Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

During the general election campaign, spokespeople from both Fine Gael and the Labour Party vehemently denied there would be any sale of Coillte forestry under their watch. That, however, is exactly what is happening. We are all aware of the latest statement regarding the privatisation by stealth of lands in Donegal. Since 2009, Coillte has sold off publicly owned lands worth €108 million without any public accountability or scrutiny and without any dividends being returned to the State. I have tabled countless parliamentary questions over the years on this issue, the response in each case being to point out that Coillte is a private company. Nothing could be further from the truth. Coillte is owned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Finance, both of which are shareholders, but we cannot get any answers regarding the company's activities.

Only Coillte lands that are viable for forestry will interest prospective foreign investors. We were told at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine that a sizeable portion of lands under Coillte control are not viable. What will happen to these non-viable, unsaleable lands when the profitable ones have been sold off? Regarding mineral rights, I was told that Coillte has compiled a detailed account of the mineral deposits that may exist on the lands under its control. What happens to those rights when land is sold to private interests? One of those interested international businesses is chaired by a former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. What happens in the case of a 100 year lease, for example?

Will the mineral rights be protected?

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