asked the Minister for Lands if he will state (1) the latest figures of the costs of soil preparation by the Forestry Division contrasting costs of preparation by hand and by machinery; (2) the total area so prepared last year and (3) the average cost of spare parts per unit of machinery.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Costs of Soil Preparation.
In reply to a previous question, I informed the Deputy thatonly a tentative estimate of the cost of mechanical preparation of ground for planting was possible pending adequate experience of average repair costs, an important element in total cost.
Current experience shows an average cost of about £2 5s. per acre for mechanical preparation of soft peat ground, compared with a manual cost of £12 per acre. Mechanical preparation of hard mineral pan ground approximates £5 per acre. The average costs are expected to rise when the incidence of repair expenditure increases. Most of the machinery in question has been in use for less than two years and repair costs are still not representative.
The total area prepared mechanically last year was about 4,500 acres. The compilation of exact figures has not yet been completed, but if the Deputy wishes to repeat the question in about three weeks' time I should be able to let him have them.
I am not sure what the Deputy means by the third part of his question. No records are kept of the cost of parts used for replacement as distinct from other repair costs.