Successful "Keep AIB Happy "letter from Coillte Teoranta to Michael Daly

mayo | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday July 20, 2005 21:53 by cupla2@gmail.com cupla2 at gmail dot com cupla2@gmail.com

Record released under FOI - five years after original request

Original of this letter on Coillte Teoranta headed paper


8 November 1999

Mr. Michael Daly
Principal Officer Forest Service
Department of the Marine and Natural Resources
Leeson Lane Dublin 2


RE: MILLENNIUM PROJECT ON NATIVE WOODLANDS

Dear Michael

You may have heard through Tom Power that a meeting took place last Friday (5 November 1999) at Government Buildings, between the National Millennium Committee, Coillte and Allied Irish Bank. Those present included:

Millennium Committee : Minister Brennan; Richard Holland; Joe Riley
AIB : Joanna Lee (Advertising Manager) John Kelly (Head, Business Banking)
Coillte: Martin Lowery; Michael Carey

The meeting followed on from an article in the Sunday Tribune on 31

October about the project. This annoyed AIB, who felt the article was premature, and as a result they refused to stay with the project unless the Millennium Committee matched their money. Gerry Egan spent a lot of time trying to calm and reassure the bank and this eventually led to the meeting on Friday.

As you know, AIB initially committed £2m to the project, provided it was matched. The overall project at that stage was safely costed by us at £4.7m and subsequently increased by a further £1.2m following a request from the Millennium Committee to plant an additional 500 acres -equivalent to one tree for every household in the country.

The Millennium Committee initially put £0.5m on the table and, following a threat from AIB to withdraw, brought this to £1.0m. Following last Friday's meeting their offer was increased to £1.5m.

In doing this, Minister Brennan was insistent that we somehow or other plant a tree for every household at the chosen sites, and that it should be possible for each household to locate its tree if they so wished at any time in the future. There are potential serious logistical and cost issues associated with such a venture and so we did not respond overly enthusiastic. Nevertheless we did offer to produce a "certificate" which might be posted (someway or other) to every household the country and facilitate the location of trees. A draft copy of same is enclosed for your information.

Although AIB see some merit in this, they feel strongly that the overall educational value of the original project which they bought into, has been diluted to such an extent that they will reconsider their options i.e. an alternative project, unless more funding is found. This would be a great loss for forestry as I believe the project is sound and has very good potential PR benefits.

The situation at present from a budgetary point of view is as follows:

£m

Funding:

AIB 2.00

Millennium Committee 1.50

Total 3.50

Expenditure:

Reduced and revised core project 2.70

PR 0.30

Production and dissemination of certificates 0.40

Original ancillary programme 0.75
Total 4.15

Shortfall 0.65

The revised budget for the core project is the absolute maximum Coillte can sustain.

The ancillary programme centres strongly on educational and training elements but I believe could be pulled back to £0.5m, leaving a shortfall then of £0.4m. If this can be matched, or a commitment made in writing to same, I believe AIB will stay on board.

I will be happy to discuss this further with you

Yours sincerely
[Michael Carey]
_______________________
Dr Michael Carey
General Manager
Coillte Forest