Rural Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs abstain on forest agreement vote
All of the country-based Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs abstained or were absent from a vote calling on the government to “immediately stop” a controversial 12,000ha forest contract between Coillte and British wealth manager Gresham House.
The motion submitted by Sinn Féin also called on the government to “urgently release the new forest strategy” and ensure that the new strategy prioritizes afforestation “by local communities, farmers, landowners and public entities over investment management ventures.” .
It also called for “a review of the government’s forest licensing throughput in 2022” to “set an ambitious licensing target for 2023” and commit to “achieving licensing targets for both coillte and non-coillte applicants.”
While the non-legally-binding motion passed the Dáil by a 55-vote vote, about 64 government TDs declined to vote either for or against the motion, and another 35 cross-party TDs were absent from Wednesday night’s vote.
Some prominent rural TDs who abstained were: Jackie Cahill (FF), Chair of the Agriculture Committee, Agriculture Secretary Charlie McConalogue (FF), Deputy Agriculture Secretary Martin Heydon (FG) and former Agriculture Secretaries 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 who voted against the motion were rural independents Danny Healy Rae, Michael Healy Rae, Mattie McGrath, Michael Collins and Richard O’Donoghue.
This follows numerous strong statements of opposition to the deal from many of the aforementioned 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 earlier, Agriculture Secretary Charlie McConalogue confirmed to the Agriculture Committee that the €200 million deal, which will allow international private investors to enter Ireland’s forestry market, backed by subsidies from the Department, is “closed”.
He said he was briefed by Coillte on the December 16 signing and admits his attention was not turned to the matter until early January.
Along with Minister Pippa Hackett and forest officials at the Department, he also confirmed that the €1.3 billion Forest Scheme (2023-2027) has yet to be ratified for EU State aid to be approved, meaning that farmers are currently not eligible for a new scheme available for planting or supporting ash dieback unless a license has been granted by December 31, 2022.
Mr Fitzmaurice questioned the timetable which said 1,100 Ac went under the hammer in Tipperary last July, with that land then entering the new fund on December 23 – 12 days after Coillte told the committee it was is in “advanced discussions” with an unidentified third party.
“You said you were made aware of this on December 16 – could you believe anything would move so quickly in Ireland… do you think anyone misled you?” he asked.
Minister McConalogue replied: “I have no reason to believe that anyone has misled me, I do not know the details of who you are referring to, all I can say is that Coillte wrote to me on 16 December that Coillte has already signed the deal.”
When asked about concerns about stocks of seedlings in nurseries and whether trees might need to be imported to fulfill planting orders, Secretary Hackett replied:
“Absolutely, there could be a problem, especially with deciduous trees…I know my department has been in touch with a certain nursery about this to see what options we might have.”
Results of the application for forestry
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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 Fein – Louth
4. Dessie Ellis – Sinn Féin – Dublin North West
5. Johnny Guirke – Sinn Fein – Meath West
6. Chris Andrews – Sinn Fein – Dublin Bay South
7. Maurice Quinlivan – Sinn Fein – Limerick City
8. Patricia Ryan – Sinn Fein – Kildare South
9. Sean Crowe – Sinn Fein – Dublin South West
10. Sorca Clarke – Sinn Fein – Longford Westmeath
11. Brian Stanley – Sinn Féin – Laois-Offaly
12. Pa Daly – Sinn Fein – Kerry
13. Pat Buckley – Sinn Fein – Cork East
14. Thomas Gould – Sinn Fein – Cork North Central
15. Pat Donnelly – Sinn Fein – Limerick City
16. Martin Browne – Sinn Fein – Tipperary
17. Denise Mitchell – Sinn Fein – Dublin Bay North
18. Aengus O’Snodaigh – Sinn Fein – Dublin South Central
19. Martin Kenny – Sinn Fein – Sligo Leitrim
20. Pauline Tully – Sinn Fein – Cavan Monaghan
21. Cathal Berry – Independent – Kildare South
22. Mick Barry – People Before Profits – Cork North Central
23. Gino Kenny – People in front of profile – Dublin Mid West
24. Padraig Mac Lochlainn – Sinn Fein – Donegal
25. Kathleen Funchion – Sinn Fein – Carlow Kilkenny
26. Claire Kerrane – Sinn Fein – Roscommon Galway
27.John Brady-Sinn Fein-Wicklow
28. Darren O’Rourke – Sinn Fein – Meath East
29. Sean Canney – Independent – Galway East
30. Peter Fitzpatrick – Independent – Louth
31. Richard Boyd Barrett – People Before Profits – Dun Laoghaire
32. Pearse Doherty – Sinn Fein – Donegal
33. Eoin O’Broin – Sinn Fein – Dublin Mid West
34. Mairead Farrell – Sinn Fein – Galway West
35. Matt Carthy – Sinn Fein – Cavan Monaghan
36. Louise O’Reilly – Sinn Fein – Dublin Fingal
37. David Cullinane – Sinn Fein – Waterford
38. Rose Conway Walsh—Sinn Fein Mayo
39. Donnachadh Ó’Laoghaire – Sinn Fein Cork South Central
40. Imelda Munster – Sinn Fein Louth
41. Peadar Toibin – Aontu – Meath West
42. Brendan Howlin – Labor – Wexford
43. Ivana Bacik – Labor – Dublin Bay South
44. Ged Nash – Labor – Louth
45. Catherine Murphy – Social Democrats – Kildare North
46. Roisin Shortall – Social Democrats – Dublin North-West
47. Duncan Smith – Labor – Dublin Fingal
48. Jennifer Whitmore – Social Democrats – Wicklow
49. Cian O’Callaghan – Social Democrats – Dublin Bay North
50. Joan Collins – Independent 4 Substitutions – Dublin South Central
51. Sean Sherlock – Labor – 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
Abstentions: 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 Fail – 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 Fail-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 Fail – Donegal
43. Stephen Donnelly – Fianna Fail – Wicklow
44. Joe O’Brien – Green – Dublin Fingal
45.Malcolm Noonan – Green – Carlow Kilkenny
46. Anne Rabbitte – Fianna Fail – Galway East
47. Mary Butler – Fianna Fail – Waterford
48. Thomas Byrne – Fianna Fail – Meath East
49. Niall Collins – Fianna Fail – Limerick County
50. James Lawless – Fianna Fail – Kildare North
51. Barry Cowen – Fianna Fail – Laois Offaly
52. Cathal Crowe – Fianna Fail – Clare
53. Jackie Cahill – Fianna Fail – Tipperary
54.Joe Flaherty – Fianna Fail – Longford Westmeath
55. Sean Haughey – Fianna Fáil – Dublin Bay North
56. James Browne – Fianna Fail – 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 Fail – Carlow Kilkenny
63. Paul McAuliffe – Fianna Fáil – Dublin North West
64. Niamh Smyth – Fianna Fáil – Cavan Monaghan
Absent: 35
1. Johnny Myths – Sinn Fein – Wexford
2. Matt Shanahan – Independent – Waterford
3. Verona Murphy – Independent – Wexford
4. Reada Cronin – Sinn Fein – Kildare North
5. Paul Murphy – People Before Profits – Dublin South West
6. Noel Grealish – Independent – Galway West
7. Michael Lowry – Independent – Tipperary
8. Brid Smith – Men Before Profits – Dublin South Central
9. Mary Lou McDonald – Sinn Fein – 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 – Work – Tipperary
15. Aodhan O’Riordain – Laboratory – Dublin Bay North
16. Marc MacSharry – Independent – Sligo Leitrim
17. Violet-Anne Wynne – Sinn Féin – Clare
18.Robert Troy-Fianna Fail-Longford Westmeath
19. Brendan Smith – Fianna Fail – 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 Fail – 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 Fail – Carlow Kilkenny
29 Leo Varadkar – Fine Gael – Dublin West
30.Michael Martin – Fianna Fail – Cork South Central
31.Michael McGrath – Fianna Fail – 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 Fail – Dublin South West
https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/forestry-enviro/forestry/rural-fianna-fail-and-fine-gael-tds-abstain-from-vote-on-forestry-deal-42319808.html Rural Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs abstain on forest agreement vote
