Coillte's proposed joint venture with a British investment fund must be stopped. The Taoiseach has stated that the Coillte deal was not the Government's preferred model. Of course, the Taoiseach has been aware since 2021 that Coillte was exploring such a joint venture. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, confirmed that on 2 June 2022 a shareholder letter of expectation was issued to Coillte, directing it to develop initiatives precisely such as this joint venture. As the Taoiseach gave the green light for this approach I ask the Taoiseach now to put a stop to this outrageous proposal.

I am not sure if it is entirely accurate to say we gave it the green light. Coillte is a State-owned enterprise and its own board makes its own commercial decisions. I can absolutely guarantee the Deputy that if I or any other Minister tried to interfere in a commercial or contractual matter such as this the Deputy would be accusing us of interference as well. It cannot work both ways. State-owned enterprises are autonomous, have their own boards and make their own commercial decisions, subject to statute.

Precisely.

The standing in relation to this particular joint venture is that the contracts are signed. They are signed for the first five years. I have said, the Tánaiste has said, and the Minister, Deputy Ryan, has said, this is not our preferred model going forward. Our preferred model is Coillte planting trees on State land and especially farmers. I was at the Irish Farmers' Association AGM dinner last night and had the chance to discuss this with them, and particularly around encouraging farmers to plant all or some of their own land. That is why the new forestry programme is so pro-farmer and is much more attractive than what was there in the past.