Coillte Teoranta pension hearing date set

A hearing date has been fixed next month for an action over a €23 million deficit in the pension scheme of State forestry body Coillte Teoranta affecting 2,000 people.

Mr Justice Peter Kelly set July 15 for the commercial court hearing, in which the scheme trustees are claiming €23m judgment against Coillte, after being told yesterday there is still no legally binding agreement in place to tackle the deficit.

Brian O’Moore SC, for the trustees, said the matter had dragged on for half a decade but, since the court proceedings were taken last March, progress was achieved.

The trustees received queries last Thursday from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform regarding particular matters and needed a short time to respond to those, he said. Engagement between the sides will continue in the interim in the hope a final agreement will yet be reached.

Jonathan Newman BL, for Coillte, said his side would have difficulties should a trial date be set and would prefer an adjournment. The judge said he had little sympathy for that application given the defendant’s delay in progressing matters.

The court was previously told the agreement required approval of two government ministers — for public expenditure and reform and for agriculture. On May 22, Mr Justice Kelly adjourned the case for four weeks peremptorily against the company.