All rural-based Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs abstained or were absent from a vote that called on Government to “immediately halt” a controversial 12,000ha forestry deal between Coillte and UK asset manager Gresham House.
The motion, tabled by Sinn Féin, also called on Government “to publish the new forestry strategy as a matter of urgency” and to ensure the new strategy prioritises afforestation “by local communities, farmers, landowners, and public bodies above investment management ventures”.
It also sought “a review the Government’s 2022 forestry licensing throughput”, to “set an ambitious licensing target for 2023” and a commitment “to meeting licencing targets for both Coillte and non-Coillte applicants”.
While the non-legally binding motion was passed by the Dáil with 55 TDs voting in favour, some 64 Government TDs declined to vote either for or against the motion, with a further 35 cross-party TDs absent from the vote on Wednesday night.
Some prominent rural TDs that abstained included: Agriculture Committee chairman Jackie Cahill (FF), Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue (FF), junior Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon (FG), and former agriculture ministers Michael Creed (FG), Simon Coveney (FG), Barry Cowen (FF) and Dara Calleary (FF).
Mayo’s Michael Ring (FG) and Galway East’s Anne Rabbitte (FF) also declined to vote; while those absent included Independents Michael Lowry, Verona Murphy, Denis Naughton, Alan Kelly, Marian Harkin; plus, party leaders Leo Varadkar (FG), Micheál Martin (FF) and Mary Lou McDonald (SF).
The five TDs that voted against the motion were rural Independents Danny Healy Rae, Michael Healy Rae, Mattie McGrath, Michael Collins, and Richard O’Donoghue.
It follows the issuing of numerous strong statements of opposition to the deal from many of the above-named TDs in recent weeks.
Several Sinn Féin, Social Democrat, Labour, People Before Profit, and other Independent TDs supported the motion including Matt Carthy (SF), Michael Fitzmaurice (I), Carol Nolan (I), Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Holly Cairns (SD), and Ivana Bacik (L).
Hours beforehand, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue confirmed to the Agriculture Committee that the €200m deal, that will allow international private investors to enter the Irish forestry market backed by Department subsidies, “is done”.
He said he was informed by Coillte of the sign-off on December 16 admitting his attention did not turn to the matter until early January.
Joined by Minister Pippa Hackett and Department forestry officials, he also confirmed the €1.3bn Forestry Programme (2023-2027) is yet to be ratified for EU State aid approval meaning no new scheme for planting or Ash dieback support is currently available to farmers – unless a licence was granted by December 31, 2022.
Mr Fitzmaurice questioned the timeline stating 1,100ac went under the hammer in Tipperary last July with that land then registered into the new fund on December 23 – 12 days after Coillte told committee it was in “advanced talks” with an unnamed third party.
“You said you were made aware on December 16 – could you believe anything would move that fast in Ireland… do you believe someone has misled you?” he asked.
Minister McConalogue replied: “I’ve no reason to believe anyone has misled me, I don’t know the detail of the one you’re referring to, all I can say is Coillte wrote to me on December 16 indicating that Coillte has already signed the deal.”
Asked of any concern regarding sapling stocks in nurseries and whether trees may need to be imported to fulfil planting orders, Minister Hackett replied:
“Absolutely there could be a problem especially with broadleaves... I know my Department has engaged with a particular nursery in relation to this to tease out what options we could do.”
Results of Motion on Forestry
No: 5
1. Danny Healy Rae – Independent – Kerry
2. Michael Healy Rae – Independent – Kerry
3. Mattie McGrath – Independent – Tipperary
4. Michael Collins – Independent – Cork South West
5. Richard O’Donoghue – Independent – Limerick County
Yes: 55
1. Carol Nolan – Independent – Laois-Offaly
2. Mark Ward – Sinn Féin – Dublin Mid-West
3. Ruairi O’Murchu – Sinn Féin – Louth
4. Dessie Ellis – Sinn Féin – Dublin North-West
5. Johnny Guirke – Sinn Féin – Meath West
6. Chris Andrews – Sinn Féin – Dublin Bay South
7. Maurice Quinlivan – Sinn Féin – Limerick City
8. Patricia Ryan – Sinn Féin – Kildare South
9. Sean Crowe – Sinn Féin – Dublin South West
10. Sorca Clarke –Sinn Féin – Longford Westmeath
11. Brian Stanley – Sinn Féin – Laois-Offaly
12. Pa Daly – Sinn Féin – Kerry
13. Pat Buckley – Sinn Féin – Cork East
14. Thomas Gould – Sinn Féin – Cork North Central
15. Pat Donnelly – Sinn Féin – Limerick City
16. Martin Browne – Sinn Féin – Tipperary
17. Denise Mitchell – Sinn Féin – Dublin Bay North
18. Aengus O’ Snodaigh – Sinn Féin – Dublin South Central
19. Martin Kenny – Sinn Féin – Sligo Leitrim
20. Pauline Tully – Sinn Féin – Cavan Monaghan
21. Cathal Berry – Independent – Kildare South
22. Mick Barry – People Before Profit – Cork North Central
23. Gino Kenny – People Before Profile – Dublin Mid West
24. Padraig Mac Lochlainn – Sinn Féin – Donegal
25. Kathleen Funchion – Sinn Féin – Carlow Kilkenny
26. Claire Kerrane – Sinn Féin – Roscommon Galway
27. John Brady – Sinn Féin – Wicklow
28. Darren O’Rourke – Sinn Féin – Meath East
29. Sean Canney – Independent – Galway East
30. Peter Fitzpatrick – Independent – Louth
31. Richard Boyd Barrett – People Before Profit – Dun Laoghaire
32. Pearse Doherty ¬– Sinn Féin – Donegal
33. Eoin O’Broin – Sinn Féin – Dublin Mid West
34. Mairead Farrell – Sinn Féin – Galway West
35. Matt Carthy – Sinn Féin – Cavan Monaghan
36. Louise O’Reilly – Sinn Féin – Dublin Fingal
37. David Cullinane – Sinn Féin – Waterford
38. Rose Conway Walsh – Sinn Féin Mayo
39. Donnachadh Ó’Laoghaire – Sinn Féin Cork South Central
40. Imelda Munster – Sinn Féin Louth
41. Peadar Toibin – Aontú – Meath West
42. Brendan Howlin – Labour – Wexford
43. Ivana Bacik – Labour – Dublin Bay South
44. Ged Nash – Labour – Louth
45. Catherine Murphy – Social Democrats – Kildare North
46. Roisin Shortall – Social Democrats – Dublin North-West
47. Duncan Smith – Labour – Dublin Fingal
48. Jennifer Whitmore – Social Democrats – Wicklow
49. Cian O’Callaghan – Social Democrats – Dublin Bay North
50. Joan Collins – Independents 4 Change – Dublin South Central
51. Sean Sherlock – Labour – Cork East
52. Garry Gannon – Social Democrats – Dublin Central
53. Holly Carins – Social Democrats – Cork South West
54. Michael Fitzmaurice – Independent – Roscommon Galway
55. Michael McNamara – Independent – Clare
Abstain: 64
1. Alan Farrell – Fine Gael – Dublin Fingal
2. Frankie Feighan – Fine Gael – Sligo Leitrim
3. Charles Flanagan – Fine Gael – Laois Offaly
4. Brendan Griffin – Fine Gael – Kerry
5. Frances Noel Duffy – Green – Dublin South West
6. Neasa Hourigan – Green – Dublin Central
7. Brian Leddin – Green – Limerick City
8. Steven Mathews – Green – Wicklow
9. Joe McHugh – Fine Gael – Donegal
10. Cormac Devlin – Fianna Fáil – Dun Laoghaire
11. Colm Brophy – Fine Gael – Dublin South-West
12. Richard Bruton – Fine Gael – Dublin Bay North
13. Ciaran Cannon – Fine Gael – Galway East
14. Joe Carey – Fine Gael – Clare
15. Michael Creed – Fine Gael – Cork North West
16. Alan Dillon – Fine Gael – Mayo
17. Patrick Costello – Green – Dublin South Central
18. Marc O’Cathasaigh – Green – Waterford
19. Hildegard Naughton – Fine Gael – Galway West
20. Patrick O’Donovan –Fine Gael – Limerick County
21. Josepha Madigan – Fine Gael – Dublin Rathdown
22. Martin Heydon – Fine Gael – Kildare South
23. Kieran O’Donnell – Fine Gael – Limerick City
24. Neale Richmond – Fine Gael – Dublin Rathdown
25. Jennifer Carroll MacNeill – Fine Gael – Dun Laoghaire
26. Ossian Smyth – Green – Dun Laoghaire
27. Eamon Ryan – Green – Dublin Bay South
28. Paschal Donohoe – Fine Gael – Dublin Central
29. Simon Coveney – Fine Gael – Cork South Central
30. Norma Foley – Fianna Fáil – Kerry
31. Catherine Martin – Green – Dublin Rathdown
32. Padraig O’Sullivan – Fianna Fáil – Cork North Central
33. Emer Higgins – Fine Gael – Dublin Mid West
34. Paul Kehoe – Fine Gael – Wexford
35. Fergus O’Dowd – Fine Gael – Louth
36. John Paul Phelan – Fine Gael – Carlow Kilkenny
37. Damien English – Fine Gael – Meath West
38. Michael Ring – Fine Gael – Mayo
39. David Stanton – Fine Gael – Cork East
40. Jack Chambers – Fianna Fáil – Dublin West
41. Darragh O’Brien – Fianna Fáil – Dublin Fingal
42. Charlie McConalogue – Fianna Fáil – Donegal
43. Stephen Donnelly – Fianna Fáil – Wicklow
44. Joe O’Brien – Green – Dublin Fingal
45. Malcolm Noonan – Green – Carlow Kilkenny
46. Anne Rabbitte – Fianna Fáil – Galway East
47. Mary Butler – Fianna Fáil – Waterford
48. Thomas Byrne – Fianna Fáil – Meath East
49. Niall Collins – Fianna Fáil – Limerick County
50. James Lawless – Fianna Fáil – Kildare North
51. Barry Cowen – Fianna Fáil – Laois Offaly
52. Cathal Crowe –Fianna Fáil – Clare
53. Jackie Cahill – Fianna Fáil – Tipperary
54. Joe Flaherty – Fianna Fáil – Longford Westmeath
55. Sean Haughey – Fianna Fáil – Dublin Bay North
56. James Browne – Fianna Fáil – Wexford
57. Dara Calleary – Fianna Fáil – Mayo
58. Christopher O’Sullivan – Fianna Fáil – Cork South West
59. Willie O’Dea – Fianna Fáil – Limerick City
60. James O’Connor – Fianna Fáil – Cork East
61. Jim O’Callaghan – Fianna Fáil – Dublin Bay South
62. Jennifer Murnane O’Connor – Fianna Fáil – Carlow Kilkenny
63. Paul McAuliffe – Fianna Fáil – Dublin North West
64. Niamh Smyth – Fianna Fáil – Cavan Monaghan
Absent: 35
1. Johnny Mythen – Sinn Féin – Wexford
2. Matt Shanahan – Independent – Waterford
3. Verona Murphy – Independent – Wexford
4. Reada Cronin – Sinn Féin – Kildare North
5. Paul Murphy – People Before Profit – Dublin South West
6. Noel Grealish – Independent – Galway West
7. Michael Lowry – Independent – Tipperary
8. Brid Smith – People Before Profit – Dublin South Central
9. Mary Lou McDonald – Sinn Féin – Dublin Central
10. Denis Naughton – Independent – Roscommon Galway
11. Thomas Pringle – Independent – Donegal
12. Catherine Connolly – Independent – Galway West
13. Marian Harkin – Independent – Sligo Leitrim
14. Alan Kelly – Labour – Tipperary
15. Aodhan O’Riordain – Labour – Dublin Bay North
16. Marc MacSharry – Independent – Sligo Leitrim
17. Violet-Anne Wynne – Sinn Féin – Clare
18. Robert Troy – Fianna Fáil – Longford Westmeath
19. Brendan Smith – Fianna Fáil – Cavan Monaghan
20. Helen McEntee – Fine Gael – Meath East
21. Simon Harris – Fine Gael – Wicklow
22. Heather Humphreys – Fine Gael – Cavan Monaghan
23. Roderic O’Gorman – Green – Dublin West
24. Sean Fleming – Fianna Fáil – Laois Offaly
25. Eamon O’Cuiv – Fianna Fáil – Galway West
26. Michael Moynihan – Fianna Fáil – Cork North West
27. Aindrias Moynihan – Fianna Fáil – Cork North West
28. John McGuinness – Fianna Fáil – Carlow Kilkenny
29. Leo Varadkar – Fine Gael – Dublin West
30. Michael Martin – Fianna Fáil – Cork South Central
31. Michael McGrath – Fianna Fáil – Cork South Central
32. Peter Burke – Fine Gael – Longford Westmeath
33. Colm Burke – Fine Gael – Cork North Central
34. Bernard J Durkan – Fine Gael – Kildare North
35. John Lahart – Fianna Fáil – Dublin South West
