asked the Minister for Lands if he will state whether, in view of the desirability of creating as much employment as possible and the fact that forestry requires skilled supervision, he will endeavour to induce the planting and replanting of woods by making an arrangement whereby the Forestry Department will either (1) carry out the work of planting or replanting, or (2) supervise that work at a fixed price per acre where persons desire this to be done for them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Planting of Woods.
The Department has already in operation a scheme under which it assists in the planting or replanting of small areas by placing at the disposal of landowners for a few days in the planting season the services of any foresters or foremen who can be spared from the Department's own woods. The charge, which is based upon the wages and travelling expenses of the officer concerned, is fixed in advance in consultation with the landowner. The Department is not prepared to undertake planting work by contract on private estates.
What is the minimum area that the Department of Forestry would undertake to replant for such a landowner?
I could hardly give that information.
Would they consider an application, for instance, for an acre or, say, 100 acres?
An acre would be a very small area.
Then it is merely on forests that they would consider replanting.
They would, on areas such as I have outlined, from one to five acres.
Would the Minister say what scope there is here for providing additional employment as well as additional timber, and will he cause inquiries to be made as to the number of people who would require services of this particular kind to increase the woods on their lands?
I do not think that would be necessary just at the moment. It would be very difficult to do any planting now, because the first need in regard to planting is that you must have protective wire, which it is impossible to get. We have been offering £10 an acre, and surely anybody who would consider planting woodlands knows that that is available.
Can they plant without wire when they get £10?
No.
I ask the Minister to go more thoroughly into the matter. I appreciate that with the smallness of the forestry staff at present he may not want to go into wider fields, but with a view to increasing woodlands, and giving substantial employment, I suggest that the Minister has a big field there for investigation, and which might substantially add to the forestry staff.
I could go into the matter in the way that the Deputy suggests by taking contracts for a big acreage, but that would mean building up an organisation which it would be impossible for us to have in the Forestry Department.
Why not?
It would mean taking over a good deal of land. I also understand that there is a motion on the Order Paper about the number of civil servants employed, and if we were to do such a thing as is suggested now, we would immensely increase the number of civil servants.