Protest against 'scandalous' forestry deal takes place at govt offices

A protest against a controversial forestry deal is due to take place outside government offices today (January 26). 

Concerned citizens are expected to gather at 1pm at the same time sitting TDs debate the country's forestry strategy inside Leinster House. 

The deal between Coillte and UK asset management firm, Gresham House will reportedly see thousands of acres of new forestry planted across Ireland under the management of Coillte. 

However, it is believed the majority of plantings will consist of the much-criticised and non-native sitka spruce, and concerns have also been raised regarding ownership, privatisation and land cost inflation. 

According to Teagasc, over 300,000 hectares of the species is currently planted in Ireland, making up over 90% of timber harvested in the country. 

The sitka forests grow quickly in the wet Irish climate and reportedly represent a significant carbon store, with many products including pallets, packaging and construction timber produced from its wood. 

In an opinion piece for The Independent, investment director in the forestry division at Gresham House, Joe O’Carroll, said the company's aim is "to produce a consistent supply of certified timber for the Irish processing sector". 

He said, "We’ve built up a respected track record in acquiring and managing forests on a long-term basis in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, matching investors that want to back new and existing forests with landowners who want to sell their land. 

"We’re not in the business of forcing anyone to sell their land. We’re not, as has been mistakenly reported, engaging in any form of privatisation.

"We will buy land, at agreed market prices, from farmers and non-farmers who want to sell. Anyone who has worked in forestry knows it’s a long-term investment that needs expertise, patience, market knowledge and a commitment to doing things right." 

In a Dáil debate this week (January 24), Deputy Matt Carthy raised a motion calling on the government to instruct Coillte to immediately halt their proposed joint venture with Gresham House. 

He said, "I have rarely seen a proposal from a State agency that has garnered such widespread opposition as the proposed Coillte joint venture with Gresham House. Environmentalists, farmers, the forestry sector and local communities are all united in their calls for the deal to be stopped. 

"This venture is not about climate. It is not even about tree planting. For Gresham House, this venture is simply about corporate profit. The funds delivered through the venture will simply drive up the cost of agricultural land that farmers could and would plant themselves if Government delivered a workable regulatory framework.

"Indeed, in the past we have seen Ireland actually reach its afforestation targets of more than 8,000 ha a year. Who planted those trees? Farmers did, because they were part of the programme. Rather than disenfranchising and alienating farmers and local communities further through this deal, Government should go back to a programme that actually works.

"The Ministers for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and Public Expenditure and Reform are the shareholders of Coillte on behalf of the Irish people. They can and should instruct Coillte to stall this plan immediately." 

Deputy Pearse Doherty called the plans "scandalous" and said, "Coillte, a State-owned body, will source the land and plant and manage the trees while international investors and shareholders will siphon the financial reward. That land could otherwise have been the basis of income and livelihood for farming and rural communities." 

He continued: "No wonder the Irish Wildlife Trust described this deal as a scandal. It said it is bad for rural communities and that funding that could be invested in rural communities is going instead into the pockets of a British investment firm. Therefore, I ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to stop this deal now on behalf of rural communities and on behalf of Irish agriculture." 

Deputy Mairéad Farrell called it "a bad deal" and said, "The reason we are here is not because we oppose investment in the forest sector, which is badly needed, but because of the type of investment. The State through Coillte should not be incentivising or underwriting investments for vulture funds at the expense of family farm incomes or viability. 

"There are also legitimate concerns that investment by such vulture funds will inflate the cost of land, as it has done in other sectors like housing. Local farmers in rural communities could be priced out, just as many renters have been priced out of living in the areas in which they grew up." 

The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett, responded after several other opposition deputies - including Sinn Féin and People Before Profit TDs as well as independents - also expressed their concerns. 

She called the forestry programme "the biggest and most farmer-friendly in the history of the State" and said it will play "a crucial role" in meeting Ireland's forestry targets under the climate action plan. 

She said, "Under the programme, farmers will receive 20 years of premium payments, compared with 15 years for non-farmers. In addition to receiving 33% more premium payments, farmers who plant new forests will receive their basic income support for sustainability, BISS, payment on land converted to forestry, whereas other private landowners will not receive that payment. 

"Roughly two thirds of the landmass of Ireland is farmland. Therefore, if we are to meet our 2050 forestry targets, we will need to count on a massive effort from our farmers. They will be the primary drivers of our afforestation efforts and the primary beneficiaries of the €1.3 billion programme." 

According to the senator, Coillte's 2050 strategic vision will ensure half of new forests will be native woodlands over the next 27 years, and the other half will be forests for quality timber production. 

She continued: "More timber for use in construction is a positive thing. I want to be clear that those new forests that are more focused on timber production will not be monoculture forests. The days of State-funded monoculture forests with inappropriate setback distances on the wrong soil types are over. Any forests planted under the new forestry programme for timber production will have a minimum 20% broadleaf content and a minimum 15% area for biodiversity enhancement." 

The senator also rejected a claim by Deputy Matt Carthy that the fund could receive up to €2billion in subsidies from Irish taxpayers. 

She called this "utterly untrue". 

She also rejected Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett's claim that the fund could plant up to 100,000ha of new forests. 

She said, "I want to clarify that this fund will plant roughly 3,500 ha over a five-year period, meaning an average of approximately 700 ha per year. Deputy Boyd Barrett has consistently repeated a figure that is over 28 times the area that will actually be planted by this fund, and this level of misinformation really does not serve anyone." 

Deputy Michael Healy Rae called Senator Hackett "a failed minister" and said, "God help the Green Party, God help her and God help forestry. It is a disgrace." 

The Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, responded and confirmed Coillte has signed up to a five year contract "which it is now contractually obliged to do". 

However, he admitted the deal "is not our preferred option". 

He continued: "I welcome the strong sentiment from many Deputies across the floor tonight in respect of trying to improve our afforestation in the years ahead. I look forward to working with them and hearing any ideas they have as to how we can try to do that further, not that I will hold my breath." 

The Woodland League and An Taisce have also condemned the deal between Coillte and Gresham House. 

In a statement, the latter said, "An Taisce condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent announcement by Coillte that they intend to facilitate the corporate buy-out by a British investment fund of huge swathes of Irish land, for use as a sitka spruce desert. 

"Irish forestry has the potential to be transformative - for Irish biodiversity, Irish communities, and Irish farmers. This capitulation to foreign capital is unacceptable. A new alliance of grassroots organisations has organised a protest against the deal outside the Dáil for this afternoon at 1pm. An Taisce will be there in solidarity with that alliance, and we hope you can join us." 

The Save Leitrim voluntary group is known for speaking out against the planting of sitka spruce in their county, with the organisation purporting to fight what they say is "the continued exploitation and decimation of the indigenous people and their environment by the Government’s subsidised conifer (Sitka Spruce) afforestation programme". 

The group - which claims Leitrim people are "staring into the abyss" - states they are not opposed to farmers planting their own lands with native species and are instead calling for a change to the model of afforestation. 

According to their informational website, their core principles include a desire to "protect our environment and to stop any further loss of our habitats" and "to protect the water quality of our streams, rivers and lakes to stop the reckless use of insecticides and herbicides which are continuing to decimate our fish stocks and other eco systems of our water courses". 

They are also calling for Environmental Impact Assessments to be carried out on all forestry developments.