Coillte has said that it is "engaging" with Coillte Nature staff on the redeployment of their roles into Coillte Forest.

Coillte announced its decision to “absorb the work” of Coillte Nature last Saturday (March 22).

But Independent MEP Michael McNamara also claimed this week that staff deployed to Coillte Nature will be transferred to Nature Trust - a separate not-for-profit co-founded by Coillte that offers corporate investors “woodland credits” in return for financing planting.

In a statement to Agriland, Coillte said that the MEP's comments were "incorrect".

"Coillte would like to categorically state that it is incorrect to say that Coillte Nature staff will transfer to The Nature Trust.

"The Nature Trust currently has no employees, nor is it a carbon off-setting programme. Coillte provides woodland management and other services to The Nature Trust and is committed to continuing to provide these services going forward," it outlined in the statement.

Coillte Nature was set up in 2019 as a team of four people within Coillte dedicated to restoration projects of scale across Ireland, which was a new area of focus for the business at that time.

According to Coillte, the company's strategy has "evolved significantly" since then, with the organisation becoming more committed than ever to its climate action and biodiversity goals, underpinned by a strong commercial forestry operation.

Coillte said: "The need for a separate (Coillte) Nature team was superseded by the new overall Coillte strategic vision for the forest estate, which seeks to deliver multiple benefits from Ireland’s state forests.

"These benefits include bringing a focus to climate action, and setting ambitious new targets on biodiversity, while continuing to deliver for the forest and wood products industry".