asked the Minister for Lands if the Forestry Division consult An Foras Talúntais and other experts in the latest land reclamation methods before deciding that land acquired is so low in fertility that it is suitable only for forestry; and, if so, if he will indicate the number of acres handed over to the Land Commission in the last three years as a result of such consultations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Reclamation Methods.
29.
It is not the policy of the Forest and Wildlife Service to acquire land for forestry which may be more suitably devoted to agriculture and Land Commission inspectors whose function is to "screen" offers of land which might be required for Land Commission purposes are seconded to the Forest and Wildlife Service. No statistics of lands disposed of to the Land Commission are maintained but because of the "screening" process to which I have referred the area would be negligible.
Would the Minister agree that there have been technology changes in regard to what constitutes arable land and that, given there is delay between the time of planting and of acquisition, what might have been considered unarable at the time of the original acquisition might later have become arable land and, therefore, should be transferred to agricultural rather than to forestry use?
I do not accept the supposition nego suppositum that land must be used for agricultural production if it is good land.
Why not?
Because it is wrong.
I do not think so.