asked the Minister for Lands (1) if it is the intention of the Forestry Division to clear and plant Torc Mountain, near Killarney; (2) whether he is aware that strenuous opposition would be offered to any such proposal by the Killarney Tourist Association and all others interested in tourism in Kerry, and whether if such a project is being contemplated he will have it rejected immediately.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Plantation of Torc Mountain (Killarney).
The suggestion in the question that the wholesale clearance of Torc mountain is contemplated is not correct. The Forestry Division's proposals involve the clearing and replanting of certain strips along portion of the side of the mountain. Great care has been taken to plan this work in such a way that it will not interfere with the present amenities of the district and will ultimately improve them.
Opposition has been expressed without the consideration or exact knowledge of the actual proposals. I am satisfied that the Killarney Tourist Association, with whom I am in correspondence, will realise that no diminution of the scenic amenities of the mountain will result from the Forestry Division's operations.
If standing timber is allowed to remain on the ground long after its maturity, it will inevitably decline and will involve not only itself, but the plantation of which it is part, in the risk of contracting diseases associated with old age and decay.