I move:—
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £10 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1946, for Salaries and Expenses in connection with Forestry (9 & 10 Geo. 5, c. 58, and No. 34 of 1928), including certain Grants-in-Aid.
This Supplementary Estimate is concerned only with one sub-head of the Forestry Vote. It is a Token Estimate introduced solely to obtain the approval of the Dáil for the payment of an increased grant to University College, Dublin, in connection with forestry research.
Since 1942-1943 the university authorities have been engaged, at the request of my Department, in the pursuit of a detailed survey of insect pests injurious to forest trees. An expert, a graduate of the university, with special qualifications, chosen by the college authorities, has been employed fulltime on the work and has surveyed carefully not only State forest areas but also private woodlands throughout the Twenty-Six Counties. It was originally planned to complete the survey of both insect pests and fungi within a three-year period which expired last summer. The magnitude of the task, however, prevented completion of the insect survey within the three years and little more than a preliminary survey of fungi was practicable. A full report of the three years' work was made available to my Department some months ago through the university authorities and has been carefully studied by the Departmental experts concerned with forestry matters. They tell me that the survey, even in its present incomplete state, has proved well worth while. Additional and valuable information was obtained in regard to pests which were already known to represent a danger in Irish woodlands. Data were also obtained in regard to other pests, the prevalence of which to a dangerous extent was for the first time discovered, and attention was directed to the presence in this country of pests which have caused grave damage in other countries and which will require special control and preventive measures in the event of more widespread attacks in Irish forests.
It is proposed, subject to the approval of the Dáil, to continue the arrangement made with the university for a further period of two years, in order to permit of completion of the work in connection with insect pests and to provide for a detailed survey of injurious fungi.
The rate of annual grant to the university during the initial three-year survey was £200. The total cost to the State in respect of that three years amounts to only £600. It has been agreed between my Department and the university that the annual rate of grant should be increased to £300 during the further two years for which the survey will be continued and the Supplementary Estimate has been introduced for the purpose of obtaining the Dáil's approval for that course. A sum of £200 was provided for the grant in the original Vote for Forestry for this year. An additional sum of £134 is provided in the Supplementary Estimate, so that the total provision in the financial year will be £334. This sum comprises one instalment of £67 of the initial grant which should have been met out of the Vote for 1944-45 but which was not issued out of the Grant-in-Aid before the close of that year, the final instalment of £67 payable out of this year's Vote in respect of the original three years' grant and two instalments of £100 each in respect of the new grant.