asked the Minister for Lands if he can give an approximate estimate of the net average profit on each acre under State forests.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Profit on State Forests.
It is not possible to state what the return per acre has been from any plantation until the final mature crop has been harvested. This may be anywhere from 50 to 100 years after the initial planting of the ground. Forestry is not undertaken by the State with a view to profit. Such income as accrues is expressed as annual increments payable throughout the life of the plantations. It has not yet been possible to make a detailed assessment of the probable ultimate yield from the woods and plantations in the hands of the Forestry Division, but from the available evidence, it would appear that capital values are being created which will repay all expenditure since State afforestation was first undertaken.