asked the Minister for Lands whether he has received an application for permission to cut timber on State forest lands from the Headboro' Saw Mills, Tallow, County Waterford; whether the application was refused; and, if so, the grounds for such refusal; whether at the same time permission to cut timber in an adjacent wood at Cappoquin was granted to a Cork firm; whether, in view of the fact that prior to the present emergency the Headboro' Saw Mills worked exclusively on native timber, while the Cork firm concerned dealt almost entirely in imported timber, he will state the grounds upon which permission to cut and work native timber was granted to the Cork firm and denied in the case of the local firm.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Forest Lands.
Mr. Corish
The question evidently refers to one of the 15 lots of timber on different State forests, tenders for the purchase of which were recently invited by public advertisement. In the case of the Cappoquin lot, eight tenders were received of which two were below the valuation of the timber as calculated by the forestry division, the choice of purchaser being therefore confined to the remaining six firms. This lot comprised a large number of trees suitable for conversion into building timbers and after careful consideration of all the factors involved was allocated to a Cork firm mainly engaged in the building industry.
I understand that prior to the emergency the Headboro' Saw Mills dealt exclusively in native timber and the Cork firm in question mainly in imported timber but I also understand that prior to the emergency the trade of the Headboro' Saw Mills was mainly a local trade in estate and agricultural requirements whereas the trade of the Cork firm was mainly in building timbers. In present conditions all saw-milling firms have to depend very largely upon native timber for their supplies and whilst I am most anxious to assist those firms which have always dealt in native timber to keep going I am not prepared to give them a monopoly and must endeavour to spread the available supplies as fairly as possible. The Cork firm in question tendered for four lots and secured one. The Headboro Mills tendered for one lot only and I cannot agree that any firm has an exclusive right to any particular lot of timber.