The chair of the board tasked with overseeing the building of the new national children’s hospital will tell a committee tomorrow that contractor claims “have not had a material impact to date”

The Government has given a "blank cheque" to the children's hospital which risks seeing the project's "monopoly money" spending surge past €2bn, TDs have warned.

A member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has called on the Taoiseach and the Government to appraise themselves of what is being spent on the new children’s hospital rather than “just showing up in a hard hat for a photo op”.

Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns said David Gunning, who was Coillte CEO for seven years, was entitled to the payments along with 2% interest and his legal costs. 

Details have emerged of an extraordinary row between Coillte and the Department of Agriculture over the forestry company’s effort to pay its departing chief executive back-dated bonuses.

THROUGHOUT the economic crisis, the board of one of the State’s largest commercial companies was doggedly scrapping with its shareholder — the minister for agriculture.

A trade union representing workers at Coillte has claimed its proposed merger with Bord na Móna would leave the State forest company considerably weakened, with the potential loss of 100 jobs.

PUBLIC Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin has made a last ditch attempt to thwart transparency with a cynical amendment he has looked to slip into the new Freedom of Information bill.

Pre-tax profits at Coillte have fallen by 25% according to their annual report.

Coillte is to pay the Government an interim dividend of €2m for the first half of 2012.

Coillte has today announced profit after tax of €19.9m for 2011.

COILLTE chief executive David Gunning has bowed to Government pressure and volunteered to have his €297,000 salary cut by 15%.

The chief executive of Coillte has today volunteered to take a 15% pay cut.

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny has upped the pressure on Coillte chief executive David Gunning to take a 15% cut to his €297,000 salary.

Minister for Communications and Energy Pat Rabbitte has said it is regrettable that the chief executive of Coillte has not yet accepted a reduction in his salary.

Coillte Chief Executive David Gunning is coming under fresh pressure to accept a 15% pay cut requested by the Government.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has reiterated his warning that the upcoming budget will entail very difficult spending cuts and revenue raising measures.

IT’S “entirely unacceptable” that the chief executive of the national forestry body Coillte should be paid nearly €100,000 more than the Taoiseach and he should take the 15% cut in his salary requested by the Government.

THE determination of Coillte to defy angry protests from government in order to pay its chief executive a €56,000 bonus has been revealed.

COILLTE’S directors argued it would be immoral, unethical, unprofessional and illegal to deny its chief executive a €56,000 bonus earlier this year after the company sanctioned the payment in defiance of ministerial and departmental demands.

THE EU is expected to grant energy subsidy approval within the next month, potentially clearing the way for significant job creation and billions of euro worth of investment in Ireland’s renewable energy sector.

FORESTRY company Coillte has reported an eightfold jump in its profits, from €4.2 million in 2009 to €32.1m in 2010.

Dubliners were today encouraged to take to the hills with the long-awaited opening of a 43km trail for serious strollers and fair-weather walkers.

PLANNING permission has been granted for a proposed wind farm development due to be jointly run by the ESB and Coillte, the state-owned forestry and renewable energy company.

MORE than 60,000 homes will be supplied with wind energy upon completion of a new 105MW wind farm on Coillte-owned lands in Cloosh Valley, Moycullen, Co Galway.

SOURCES in Coillte have predicted the value of forest residue could be boosted to €65 per tonne by the Government’s support price structure for bio-energy.

STATE-OWNED Coillte, a forestry and renewable energy company, has reported a profit of €4.2 million for 2009, down from €9.2m in 2008.

State-owned forestry company Coillte today announced profits of €4.2m for 2009, down from €9.2m in 2008, as the construction sector in Ireland, the UK and continental Europe stagnated, with prices weak across all markets.

COILLTE, the state forestry board, is expecting to make a loss for 2009, as a whole, after seeing profits sink by more than €30 million last year.

A 40% drop in demand for sawn timber in Ireland has hit the forest industry, according to Coillte.

Donal Hickey sees new hope for Ireland’s bogland

COILLTE and Fáilte Ireland are setting an example for rural communities and farmers to develop recreational facilities and amenities that are attractive to both domestic and overseas visitors.

COMMUNITY, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Éamon Ó Cuív has announced the allocation of €1,002,948 for works on forestry access roads.

A FURTHER allocation of €464,200 for works to be carried out on forestry access roads in CLÁR areas was announced yesterday by Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Éamon Ó Cuív.

PAPERWORK on Coillte’s acquisition of the Clonmel-based Weyerhaeuser Europe Limited has been finalised.

Coillte have announced that they have bought Weyerhaeuser Europe Limited, the Clonmel-based manufacturer of medium density fibreboard (MDF).