asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the amount of money expended on the acquisition of land for forestry purposes, and the acreage purchased, in each of the last three years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Acquisition of Forestry Lands.
Expenditure on the purchase of land for forestry purposes in the years in question was as follows:— 1954-55—£90,372; 1955-56—£104,584 and 1956-57—£120,000 (approximately). The total area acquired in each of the years was 17,513 acres, 17,358 acres and 18,725 acres, respectively.
Is the Minister in a position to state whether that intake of land will be sufficient to allow him to implement the planting rate of 25,000 acres per year?
That is a separate question.
For the present, that intake of land will be sufficient because, as I indicated in the speech on the Estimate, a very considerable area of land, amounting to, I think, some 200,000 acres, is in process of being acquired but cannot be considered as having yet been acquired.
So that cock will not fight, either.