The arguments for keeping Irish forestry rights in state hands are many and go beyond pure economics according to Fianna Fáil’s Naas Area Representative and National Executive member, James Lawless.

The government is currently considering a whole scale sell-off of Irish forestry rights into private hands, possibly an overseas conglomerate.

“I am opposed to any sell off of forestry rights” said James “and in fact the benefit of having state ownership has been demonstrated over the recent economic downturn. Whilst the construction industry collapse could have had a catastrophic effect, under state ownership Coillte was able to take a big picture view and adjust prices and target international markets to ensure that not a single timber mill closed up as a result of the recession” claimed James “Two and a half thousand jobs are linked to these mills and up to twenty six thousand jobs are employed in the forestry sector overall and these have been protected under current structures”.

“As a prime local example, Donadea is a resource utilised by people from right around the county and is a great example of the local community, including Friends of the Forest, working in tandem with Coillte and in harmony with the visiting public to upkeep and operate a fantastic facility” James stated.

“Another consideration is that Coillte controls 80% of the country’s forestry crop. As a state owner, Coillte has acted in the national interest and as a benevolent and pragmatic public owner, however the danger of immediately creating a massive private monopoly is very apparent were such a market share to be simply sold en masse” warned James.

“In addition to that 45% of the waymarked ways around the country are on Coillte properties and in state ownership these have been amenable to a whole outdoors rural recreation, encompassing everything from ramblers to mountain bikers. This offers a fantastic, ongoing tourist resource which cannot be guaranteed in a changed structure”.

“This is also of course a primary natural resource for everyone to enjoy on their doorstep for generations. Any threat to that is simply unacceptable. Between the primary economic concerns and the threat to leisure and access, any short term gain to the exchequer is simply not worth the losses sustained in every other respect” concluded James.