Longford Westmeath Deputy and Minister Peter Burke says he shares the concerns of many people regarding plans by Coillte to involve a British Investment Fund in afforestation.
The Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence was commenting on plans which will see thousands of acres of rural Ireland sold to Gresham House.
There are serious concerns the move will price farmers out of the market.
Members of the Oireachtas agriculture committee want Minister Charlie McConalogue, and Minister of State Pippa Hackett, to appear before them as soon as possible over the matter, and they've also asked Coillte management to a meeting.
Speaking on the Joe Finnegan show this morning, Peter Burke pointed out that Coillte is an independent entity, but he says he has already expressed his concerns over the plan.
"I would be concerned. I think the more sustainable model is that if you bring farmers on board, each farmer could have an acre or two of forestry trying to diversify their holdings and they would be contributing to the global target of trying to get our forsetry to 18%. Doing it though an investment house, I would have grave concerns about that. I've expressed those. The reason I have concerns about it, quite rightly what you pointed out there it terms of the farming groups coming together and sharing their concerns about competition in the marketplace".
