asked the Minister for Lands the amount of land held in each county as forestry planting reserve and the approximate amount required in each county if the present labour force is to be maintained.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Forestry Planting Reserve.
63.
The information relating to the existing plantable reserve is in the form of a tabular statement which, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement: —
|
County |
Nominal Plantable Reserve at 31st March, 1966. |
|
Acres |
|
|
Carlow |
296 ¼ |
|
Cavan |
631 |
|
Clare |
1,400 |
|
Cork |
10,211 ½ |
|
Donegal |
5,803 ½ |
|
Dublin |
63 ¾ |
|
Galway |
7,052 ¾ |
|
Kerry |
4,619 |
|
Kildare |
594 ½ |
|
Kilkenny |
319 ¾ |
|
Laois |
1,538 |
|
Leitrim |
2,510 ¾ |
|
Limerick |
680 ¼ |
|
Longford |
353 ¾ |
|
Louth |
297 |
|
Mayo |
5,731 ½ |
|
Meath |
164 ¼ |
|
Monaghan |
382 ¼ |
|
Offaly |
1,434 |
|
Roscommon |
1,158 ¼ |
|
Sligo |
2,155 ¼ |
|
Tipperary |
4,508 |
|
Waterford |
2,736 ½ |
|
Westmeath |
648 ¾ |
|
Wexford |
3,171 ¼ |
|
Wicklow |
5,549 ¼ |
|
TOTAL |
64,011 |
The nominal reserve includes areas amounting, in the aggregate, to considerably more than 10,000 acres which for various reasons — land subject to grazing and turbary rights, exchange or sale proposals — are not immediately available for planting.
The labour force employed is governed by such requirements as nursery work, establishment of plantations, road construction, maintenance of existing plantations, and felling. The plantable reserve is not the only factor affecting employment and it is not therefore possible to give a simple answer to the second part of the question.