asked the Minister for Lands if he will state what areas in West Cork are to be acquired for afforestation and planted in the immediate future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - West Cork Afforestation.
Acquisition statistics are kept on a county basis and I am unable, therefore, to give the Deputy separate figures for West Cork. The position for the county as a whole is that my Department is currently dealing with a total of 635 offers of land for afforestation purposes, involving a total area of 38,418 acres. The purchase of three areas totalling 121 acres has just been completed and possession of the lands is about to taken. My Department has agreed to purchase 101 other areas totalling 8,854 acres and title to the lands is being investigated. In addition, negotiations are in progress for the purchase of 119 areas totalling 9,674 acres, and there are 412 cases with a total area of 19,769 acres at the preliminary investigation stages.
I am not in a position at this stage to indicate when any of the lands in process of acquisition are likely to be planted. The planting programme for the current planting season has been settled and the programme for next year has not yet been formulated. It is likely, however, that some of the lands in question will be planted next year and that the balance will be held as part of the plantable reserves of the forests to which they are attached.