asked the Minister for Lands if he will state (1) the total acreage of land offered for afforestation in South Kerry during the ten years ending 31st March, 1959, (2) the number of acres (a) acquired, (b) rejected as being unsuitable, (c) the subject of negotiations and (d) planted, (3) the number of men employed in each of the forestry centres, and (4) the maximum number of men usually employed under a forestry ganger.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - South Kerry Afforestation Statistics.
24.
Forestry acquisition statistics are kept on a county basis and I am unable to give the Deputy separate figures for South Kerry constituency.
Information regarding lands offered for forestry purposes in the form sought by the Deputy is not readily available for periods prior to 1st April, 1956. The position for County Kerry as a whole is that in the period from 1st April, 1956, to March, 1960, 213 areas with a gross area of 21,524 acres were offered to the Forestry Division. Of these, 18 areas totalling 2,101 acres were found to be unsuitable for planting and proceedings in respect of 40 other areas totalling 4,454 acres fell through because of size, location, disagreement on price or some such cause. At a recent date, the total area on offer in the county was 20,625 acres, comprising 200 separate lots. Of these agreement to purchase had been reached in respect of 21 cases with a total area of 2,485 acres and title was in course of clearance, negotiations were in progress for the purchase of 34 areas totalling 3,934 acres and the remaining cases were at the preliminary investigation stages.
The overall position on 31st March, 1959 was that the gross area held by the Forestry Division in the county was 11,741 acres, of which a total of 9,884 acres was classified as productive and 7,428 acres had actually been planted. Of these areas, a gross total of 8,637 acres had been acquired in the preceding 10 years and the total area planted in the same period was 4,541 acres. The planting programme for the county for the current year totals 900 acres.
There are at present 175 men employed at the seven State Forests in the County, as follows:—Brosna— 27, Cahirciveen—20, Castlegregory— 12, Kenmare—32, Kilgarvan—24, Killarney—39 and Killorglin—21.
The number of men in a work-gang varies very widely depending on the volume and nature of work to be dealt with at the particular Forest block. It may be as low as 3 or 4 men or as high as 20 men. There is no absolute rule about it.