In 2025, Coillte successfully completed ISO 45001:2018 certification, reinforcing its commitment to providing a safe and healthy working environment. The certification supports a structured Health and Safety Management System that enables management to identify and control health and safety risks, reduce the potential for accidents, support legal compliance, and drive continuous improvement in overall performance.

The full certification audit was carried out by the Certification Body in April 2023. Surveillance audits are conducted annually, with the most recent completed in April 2025. Coillte’s health and safety management systems were also reviewed as part of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®-C005714) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC/17-23-042) audits undertaken in May 2025.

Coillte maintained a low Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rate for employees during the reporting period. Safety Alerts and Notices were issued to staff and contractors, where required, following accident investigations to support learning and risk reduction.

Storm Éowyn had a significant impact on operations during the year. In response, key safety supports were delivered throughout the year to ensure appropriate risk assessments, controls, and training were in place for staff and contractors working in high windblow areas.

A number of initiatives to promote health, safety, and employee wellbeing were made available in 2025. These included promotion of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and seasonal flu vaccinations.

MEDITE SMARTPLY

In 2025, MEDITE SMARTPLY continued to operate a fully accredited occupational health and safety management system aligned to ISO 45001:2018, with ongoing internal and external audit assurance. Overall safety performance in 2025 showed continued stability and improvement compared with 2024, with a reduction in total recordable incidents. OSHA reportable incidents remained low, supported by strengthened incident investigation, near-miss reporting and corrective action close-out. During the year, the site progressed the implementation of Dulann, a new health and safety management system software, to strengthen incident reporting, action tracking, and visibility of leading indicators across operations and contractors.

Key initiatives during the year included enhanced contractor controls, sustained focus on fire prevention and housekeeping, and continued reinforcement of safe systems of work across all shifts. Learning from incidents and near misses was systematically communicated to support frontline engagement and risk awareness. Both statutory and non-statutory audits were successfully completed throughout the year.

Gender Pay Gap

Coillte CGA published its fourth Gender Pay Gap Report in November 2025. A gender pay gap is the deference in the average hourly pay and bonuses of all men compared to the average hourly pay and bonuses of all women employees across an organisation. Coillte’s mean gender pay gap decreased from -13.33% in 2024 to -8.68% in 2025 in favour of women.

This decrease was driven by three key factors. Internal promotions and role changes have narrowed the pay gap in 2025. Additionally, the take-up of one-year post-retirement fixed-term contracts which come with reduced hours was lower in 2025. There has also been an increase in the number of female hires into the organisation. New employees generally start at the lower end of the pay scale, narrowing the overall pay gap.

Coillte remains committed to narrowing the gender pay gap. As its workforce continues to evolve, particularly with many forest workers approaching retirement over the next decade, natural shifts in the structure and composition of roles will occur. These changes are likely to contribute to a gradual reduction in the gender pay gap over time.

 

MEDITE SMARTPLY

Also in 2025, MEDITE SMARTPLY published its second Gender Pay Gap Report. The mean gender pay gap for 2025 is 25.1% in favour of men compared to 27.6% in 2024. The main drivers behind this pay gap are:

• Traditionally the industry has attracted a higher proportion of male employees than female. Similarly, the nature of a 24/7 manufacturing tends to attract fewer females. Overall, there is a higher male employee population (87.3%).
• Through succession over the course of time, 92% of the top quartile earners are male. • Approximately 50% of employees work on shift cycle, earning a shift premium of up to 33% above base hourly rate. Most of these shift workers are male (98%).
• There is higher female participation at the entry level positions e.g. apprentice roles and graduates. While these roles typically have lower starting salaries and temporarily widen the pay gap, they represent a vital foundation and a commitment to delivering long-term change. MEDITE SMARTPLY is also deepening its engagement with schools, colleges, and community groups to raise awareness of career opportunities in manufacturing and engineering. Hosting site visits and partnering with Business in the Community Ireland career promoting initiatives helps to build stronger connections and inspire future talent.

Coillte and MEDITE SMARTPLY aims to continue to narrow the gender pay gap and increase the diversity of the workforce – in terms of age, background, nationality and experience, as well as diversity of gender. This work is ongoing and will continue into 2026 and beyond.

Sustainable Employment

 

A number of initiatives were put in place in 2025 to ensure sustainability of employment for the current and future workforce. These initiatives included:

 

• Workforce Capacity Project Coillte projects that it will support the creation of 1,770 new forestry and processing jobs over the next decade, subject to workforce availability. The Strategic Workforce Capacity Project (2024–2030) further advanced in 2025 through key initiatives, including securing Professional Forestry on the national Critical Skills Occupations List, establishing a National Forest Training and Education Forum, and developing a digital schools’ experience to promote forestry careers. Following Storm Éowyn, Coillte significantly expanded operational capacity by engaging additional Irish and European harvesting contractors to ensure the timely clearance of • DEI and Inclusive Leadership Coillte has a DEI Committee made up of a voluntary group who meet quarterly to review DEI policies and practices, plan DEI-focused initiatives and review impact on company culture. The Committee works closely with Human Resources and reports quarterly to the Operating Executive. In addition, the Remuneration Committee receives an annual update. windblown timber. With Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine funding, Coillte also developed a new digital learning programme highlighting the benefits of forestry and related career opportunities, which will be rolled out to Transition Year students from 2026. New forestry sector and Coillte sections on the popular website careersportal.ie further strengthens the long-term talent pipeline by promoting forestry careers, graduate and scholarship programmes, and work placement opportunities across the sector.
• Promoting Gender Diversity Coillte is focused on diversifying its workforce to achieve greater gender balance by increasing the representation of women working in the organisation and by increasing the number of women both studying and working in forestry more broadly. Significant e orts led to an increase in female hires, with women making up 52% of new recruits in 2025, up from 42% in 2024.
• Employer Brand In 2025, steps were taken to promote Coillte and the forestry industry more broadly to a wider pool of applicants including:– Leveraging existing strong relationships with local schools and colleges resulted in apprenticeship programmes in MEDITE and SMARTPLY attracting a more diverse pool of local school students into traineeships.– Coillte proactively profiled employees and roles in forestry in media.– Coillte continues to have a presence at recruitment fairs and Higher Options exhibitions.
• Coillte Forestry Scholarship Programme Since its launch in January 2024, Coillte has awarded scholarships to six students studying forestry, helping to strengthen the forestry sector’s pipeline of future talent. In 2025, Coillte saw a 25% uplift in applications year-on-year demonstrating growing demand for both the scholarship and career opportunities in forestry. The scholarship provides financial and career support for students pursuing a full-time, third level forestry programme at University College Dublin (UCD) or South East Technological University (SETU). Up to €20,000 is available for each scholar, for the duration of their degree programme (€5,000 per year) to support with fees and living expenses.
• DEI and Inclusive Leadership Coillte has a DEI Committee made up of a voluntary group who meet quarterly to review DEI policies and practices, plan DEI-focused initiatives and review impact on company culture. The Committee works closely with Human Resources and reports quarterly to the Operating Executive. In addition, the Remuneration Committee receives an annual update.

  In 2025, the DEI Committee ran a series of initiatives across five workstreams (Ability & Inclusion, Neurodiversity Awareness Week, Employee Workplace Wellbeing, Green Ribbon Campaign and International Day of Persons with Disabilities).

  Coillte continued its Inclusivity Campaign in 2025 to raise awareness and acceptance of people with all different levels of abilities in Coillte and to support those with challenges, both visible and invisible. The campaign included training on neurodiversity and hidden disabilities as well as partnerships with the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities and Open Doors.

  Coillte conducts an annual survey to measure the proportion of employees who define themselves as having a disability. In 2021, 1.9% of staff classified themselves as having a disability. In 2025, 5.6% of employees identified as having a disability.

  In this employee survey, the percentage of employees that answered positively to “My work environment feels inclusive and welcoming” increased from 88% in 2024 to 92% in 2025.

  In addition, Coillte is a signatory of the Business in the Community inclusive workplace Elevate Pledge and a member of the 30% Club.