Coillte sale would be a 'disaster', says Cllr. Dan McCarthy

The incoming government must not resort to selling state assets such as forestry, in order to meet repayments on Ireland's IMF/EU bailout deal, a local councillor has warned.Labour's Cllr. Dan McCarthy made the remarks amid growing fears that despite the incoming government's plans to revolutionise the forestry industry, external financial pressures may result in Ireland losing control of one its vital natural resources.Cllr. McCarthy, speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, said that "not one State asset" should be sold as a result of financial pressures caused by the EU/IMF bailout."I am totally opposed to the sale of any State assets. We shouldn't sell an acre," he said, affirming his opposition to An Bord Snip Nua's McCarthy Report, which suggested that Government should look at the possibility of selling State-owned bodies like Coillte and the ESB to private buyers.(For more see this week's Examiner)