Dear Ministers,
We, the Environmental Pillar, Stop Climate Chaos and the Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) are strongly of the view that public land must be utilised in the public interest and that all public bodies must be mandated to lead in Ireland’s response to climate change and biodiversity loss. The Irish people should have a greater say in how that is achieved. The public outrage in response to the agreement between Coillte and Gresham House PLC and the admission by Minister McConalogue that the deal was “not the government’s preferred option,” starkly highlighted the lack of accountability and government oversight in the operation of public bodies such as Coillte and Bord Na Móna. Coillte’s agreement with Gresham House and the persistent greenwashing of outdated and unsustainable land use signal an unacceptable lack of leadership by the State in response to Ireland’s declared climate and biodiversity emergency.
