‘Forests sale will cost jobs’

The sale of Coillte’s harvesting rights could see 2,500 jobs lost and all of Ireland’s commercial sawmills facing closure, those opposed to the plan have warned.

Appearing before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, the Irish Timber Council (ITC) yesterday urged the Government not to carry out its proposed sale of the harvesting rights, saying the financial benefit to the State would not be that significant.

Pat Glennon, the ITC chairman, said: “Our key message to Government is not to sell the harvesting rights, as any benefit to the exchequer... will be so small and disproportionate compared to the negative impacts on the sawmill sector.”