asked the Minister for Lands if he will state whether it is the policy of his Department to purchase land subject to replanting conditions, and whether he will consider the advisability of issuing offers to the owners of all such lands who have sizable lots for sale.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land for Replanting.
The existence of replanting obligations on any area is not regarded as a bar to its acquisition for State forestry purposes.
Owners of land subject to replanting conditions who are prepared to sell generally contact my Department on their own initiative with a view to offering the land for afforestation.
Is the Minister aware that in a few cases in County Kerry his Department notified farmers that unless they replanted proceedings would be brought against them. Subsequently these farmers offered the land to the Minister's Department for forestation and when his Department officials examined the lands they rejected them as being unsuitable for planting. In that type of case what will the Minister and the Department do? Will they still insist on these farmers replanting?
I take it that the Deputy has in mind cases in which land which carries a replanting condition was offered to the Forestry Department and the Forestry Department refused it. If the land was refused it was not because it carried a replanting condition but must have been for some other reason. I do not know the particular case the Deputy has in mind and if he would let me know the details I will look into it. As a matter of fact land has never been rejected because a replanting condition was attached to the title because of felling in the past. If the Deputy gives me particulars I will look into it.
That is not the question Mr. Flynn asked.
I am sorry but I did not hear the Deputy very well.
Deputy Flynn said that land was offered to the Forestry Department. It has a replanting condition attached and the Forestry Department rejected it because it was not capable of growing trees.
I did not get that from Deputy Flynn but if he gives me particulars of the case I will look into it and have it fully examined.
I will be glad to have it examined as a special case and I will give particulars to the Minister. There are several other cases where the same circumstances apply in our county.
I want to make it perfectly clear to all Deputies, as well as to Deputy Flynn, that land carrying a replanting condition is not turned down for that reason. As a matter of fact we are glad to get our hands on it. The fact that replanting conditions exist does not debar us from buying it. No offer of land with the replanting condition has been turned down because of that.