I thank the Acting Chairperson and I thank the Minister of State for making such an effort to be here. I really appreciate it. He was in the Dáil Chamber and I saw that. It is just unfortunate the somebody from the Front Bench could not have covered him at this moment in time because he cannot be in two places at one time.

I raise Portumna Forest Park. It is a park under the control of Coillte which happens to be under the Minister of State's remit. At the outset, I wish him the best of luck in that portfolio. Portumna Forest Park is both an economic driver for Coillte and a recreational forest park for the people of Portumna. Unfortunately, the last allocation of enhancement works that were to be carried out at Portumna Forest Park did not make the cut for numerous reasons.

One of the main reasons was that the people of Portumna were unhappy with the allocation in relation to accommodation that was within the overall plan, scope and design. After the summer just gone by, when we had no accessible toilets within a 1,500-acre park, I do not feel that is acceptable by any manner or means. While I acknowledge the wonderful work that is done by Coillte, particularly by Declan Garvey and David Harris on a daily basis, we have to make some arrangements to move forward with a design or plan that would be in keeping with what the park design is, would ensure we have accessible toilets and would ensure that people have a place to come in out of the rain and have their picnics when they visit the forest.

I am also looking for an upgrade and proper signage in relation to the various walkways that we have in Portumna. There is a fantastic accessible walking park within it, but the expansion of the accessibility would be really welcome. There has been huge investment in the blueway, but that blueway tying in with the greenway within the park would mean that the allocation of accessible bikes would actually get a full experience within the park.

I have no doubt that the Minister of State's office works very closely with the local authorities in ensuring those upgrades can be met to ensure the park can be both a place of recreation and economic driver. For us in Portumna, it is our centrepiece. It is the crown in the jewel for us. However, we got a lot of complaints during the summer. Older people in particular who go out there cannot use what is available. I look forward to the Minister of State’s response.

I wish to explain to the House and the Senators that I was in the Dáil Chamber and I was to be relieved at 11 a.m. to come in here to take this matter, but there was some kind of a mix-up. I was not relieved until 11.30 a.m. and I came straight here then.

I thank Senator Rabbitte for giving me the opportunity to update the House on Coillte’s plans for Portumna Forest Park. Coillte, which is the custodian of our public forest estate, currently manages 440,000 ha of land, which represents 7% of the total area of the State. The company employs more than 800 staff. While Coillte is Ireland's largest producer and supplier of certified timber, its role is much wider than just managing productive forests. It manages much of its estate for nature and is the largest provider of outdoor recreation in Ireland. It records increases in the number of visitors to its recreational forests every year. Its locations include Beyond the Trees, located in Avondale Forest Park in County Wicklow, which was the most visited forest park in 2025, recording almost 350,000 visits.

Portumna Forest Park is also part of Coillte’s portfolio of recreational forests. It covers almost 450 ha, and was acquired by the company in 1948. I recognise that this forest, located in County Galway, is very important for recreation and biodiversity in the area. It is a valued amenity that attracts more than 45,000 visits annually. Coillte has implemented a range of woodland habitat enhancement and ecological restoration measures across the forest, including the planting of native oak trees within mature Scots pine stands through an underplanting programme designed to increase woodland diversity, strengthen habitat connectivity and support the development of a more natural and resilient forest structure.

In recent years, in partnership with Galway County Council and with the support of Fáilte Ireland, Coillte undertook to explore opportunities to further enhance the visitor experience at Portumna Forest Park. This process included significant public and stakeholder engagement and consultation and helped to inform the long-term vision for the forest park. Following a review of Coillte’s national recreation programme in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, the company took the decision not to progress the planned redevelopment project at Portumna Forest Park at this time. The company has informed me that this decision was communicated to all involved stakeholders. While the redevelopment project is not progressing, Coillte remains committed to the management and upkeep of Portumna Forest Park and maintaining the visitor facilities available onsite. It is important to keep in mind that Coillte was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act 1988. Therefore, day-to-day operational matters, such as the management of its visitor centres and recreational forests, are the responsibility of the company.

Storm Éowyn caused significant damage to the Coillte estate. A satellite imagery-based assessment of wind-damaged forest areas has determined that 14,500 ha of forests were affected. To put this into perspective, this is more than twice the size of Coillte’s annual harvest area. Despite the challenges experienced last year, approximately 30% of the Coillte estate, representing approximately 135,000 ha of forest and land, is now managed primarily for nature and biodiversity. Coillte's objectives to 2050 are set out in its forest estate strategic land-use plan, which was published in 2023 and supports the long-term delivery of climate, nature, wood and people benefits across Ireland's forests. It is important to keep in mind that Coillte is a central part of Ireland's wider forestry sector, which supports more than 9,000 jobs and contributes approximately €2.3 billion to the Irish economy nationally. I strongly believe, in conclusion, that Coillte continues to have an important role in delivering the multiple benefits of forests for climate, nature, wood and people, creating lasting value for society while sustainably managing our public forest estate.

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. It is greatly appreciated. While I hear what he is saying in relation to Storm Éowyn, I hope Coillte can look again at the recreational space, which is the amenity space, and at where the toilet block would be or the picnic area could be. If it could review that as one phase, along with signs and walkways, it would be greatly appreciated. Coillte is doing phenomenal work. It is great to get the up-to-date figures in relation to the 40,000 visitors. That is 40,000 visitors coming to a rural town in east Galway, and it would not be happening only for the management and the upkeep of Portumna Forest Park. That goes back to Coillte and the good engagement it has with the community.

On a final note, it has also done great work in Derrygill in Woodford. Going forward, when we are looking at signage and upkeep, if we could look at connecting Derrycrag and Derrygill through a local walkway, it would be well within Coillte’s remit and would also be gratefully appreciated. I thank the Minister of State for his time and for coming here this morning. I really appreciate it.

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, which I know she is very familiar with. I will bring all of the points raised by the Senator to the attention of Coillte.