The sale by Coillte this week of 1,000 acres of public land, bringing to 40,000 the number of acres of public forestry sold by the company in the past 20 years or thereabouts, indicates that our forest heritage is being sold from under our feet. I have asked repeatedly, in this context and in the context of the Government's stated commitment to sell off the harvesting rights of Coillte, when the forestry Bill will come before the House in order that Deputies can discuss in public what is happening to State forestry.

Two issues arise. The Government has considered the sale of timber from forestry lands as potentially a sale of a State asset. I refer to the timber rather than the land. The forestry Bill, which was due to come before the House in this session, will not be taken before the session ends. It will be taken early in the new session next year.