Coillte to remain independent
by Bernard Harbor
IMPACT has welcomed a Government decision not to go ahead with a merger of Bord na Mona and state forestry body Coillte. The union’s Coillte branch had campaigned against the proposed merger, arguing that forestry would inevitably suffer in a merged organisation.
Agriculture minister Simon Coveney announced this week that Coillte would remain an independent agency, while a new 50-50 joint venture would be established to cover four areas where the two organisations overlap – wind energy, biomass supply, green tourism and shared services.
IMPACT’s Coillte branch executive is to consider the development at its meeting next week. The union is likely to seek meetings with management to discuss the detail of this week’s announcement and any potential implications for staff.
Meanwhile the company has announced that it made a profit of €28.5 million after tax last year – a 69% increase over 2012. Turnover was €275 million, up from €262 million in 2012.
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