Coillte Explained

Coillte
Type:Statutory Corporation
Industry:Forestry
Owner: (on behalf of the Irish state)
Num Employees:862[1]
Num Employees Year:2016
Location City:Newtownmountkennedy
Location Country:Ireland
Homepage:coillte.ie

Coillte (; pronounced as /ga/; meaning /) is a state-owned commercial forestry business in Ireland based in Newtownmountkennedy. Coillte manage approximately 7% of the country’s land, and operates three businesses - their core forestry business, a 'land solutions' division,[2] and a wood panel manufacturing business called 'Medite Smartply'.[3]

Operation

The company was incorporated in December 1988 and commenced trading in January 1989 when it took over the forestry activities previously carried out by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.[4] Shares are held by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Minister for Finance on behalf of the Irish Government.[5] [4] During 2016, the organisation had an average of 862 employees.[6] [1] The Coillte estate is 4,450 square kilometres of which 79% is forest; it manages over 50% of forested land in the country.[7]

In its 27 years of operation between 1989 and 2016, Coillte had:

According to the Coillte website, 20% of its estate is managed with biodiversity as the primary objective.[8] Other entities have however questioned Coillte's commercially focused practices and the amount of land afforded to native species.[7]

Developments

In 2011, there was speculation that Coillte could be sold by the Government of Ireland as part of cost-cutting measures.[9] [10] [11] As of 2011, Coillte was also seeking to calculate the aggregate economic value of its 445,000ha of forest estate.[12]

In 2018 the organisation was reportedly criticised for payment and communication issues with some landowners.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Staff Numbers and Gender Balance . coillte.ie . Coillte . 31 December 2016 .
  2. Web site: Our Business - Our Divisions - Land Solutions . coillte.ie . 24 February 2023 . Land Solutions [..involves..] developing areas where our lands are suited to activity other than forestry.
  3. Web site: Coillte announces new ‘BioClass’ system to protect biodiversity in Irish forests . Independent News & Media . 26 September 2018 . 25 October 2018 . Coillte manages approximately 7pc of the country’s land and 47pc of Ireland’s forests.
  4. Web site: Corporate - About Us . Coillte . coillte.ie . 8 July 2017 .
  5. Web site: Records for company number 138108 (Coillte Cuideachta Ghníomhaíochta Ainmnithe) . Companies Registration Office . cro.ie . 6 July 2017 .
  6. Web site: Coillte Annual Report & Accounts 2016. 2016. coillte.ie. Coillte. 8 July 2017 .
  7. Web site: Native trees cover just 2% of Ireland. How can this be increased? . Irish Times . 6 July 2018 . 25 October 2018 . More than half of Ireland’s forest cover (and 7 per cent of land in the State) is owned by Coillte, deft exponents of the dark arts of clear-felling, a practice illegal in Denmark, Switzerland, Slovenia and parts of Germany for its devastating effects on plants, animals, soil and landscapes alike [..] Crann and the Woodland League want Coillte to carry out more diverse planting and continuous coverage forestry, the norm on the European mainland. Coillte has earmarked just 5 per cent of its 445,000 hectares of land for it .
  8. Web site: Coillte - Forest Biodiversity. Coillte. coillte.ie. 10 July 2017 .
  9. Web site: Bertie Ahern trip to China for forestry fund . 14 Jan 2011 . 16 January 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110116061217/http://www.tribune.ie/article/2010/dec/19/bertie-ahern-in-expenses-paid-trip-to-china-for-fo/ . Sunday Tribune .
  10. News: Semi-State firms to be assessed . 14 Jan 2011 . The Irish Times . 7 July 2010 .
  11. News: Talks will be a charade if old delusions remain . 14 Jan 2011 . Irish Independent . 14 March 2010 .
  12. Web site: Evaluation of the Public Goods Value on he Coillte Forest Estate. eTenders. etenders.gov.ie. 9 Feb 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110223205953/http://www.etenders.gov.ie/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JAN196415. 23 February 2011. dead. dmy-all.
  13. Web site: Coillte criticised as landowners left without payments . RTÉ . 1 February 2018 . 25 October 2018 .

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