Timber industry could be in the firing line as country bids to get rid of debt

Coillte and much of our timber industry are in line to be the major rural victims of Ireland’s huge debts, according to economist Peter Bacon’s report on the proposed sale of Coillte’s timber-harvesting rights.

He holds out the prospect of a foreign buyer exporting the timber without processing.

A new private owner could also maximise short-term gains by increasing the timber supply when prices rise, and decreasing the supply when prices fall.