asked the Minister for Lands the price payable for land purchased by the forestry section of his Department in (a) County Wexford and (b) the remainder of the country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. - Forestry Land Prices.
55.
(Cavan): The average price per plantable acre payable by the Forest and Wildlife Service of my Department in respect of lands for which price agreement was reached in the past year was £19 in County Wexford and £17 in the remainder of the country.
Would the Minister not agree that one of the reasons there is such a decline in forestry land at the moment is because of the poor price being paid?
(Cavan): I have come to the conclusion that the principal trouble is that it is not now considered that any land is suitable for planting. It is not now considered there is such a thing as bad land. The whole pressure is on the Department of Lands to release land for grazing which they have acquired for afforestation. The increased value of land and the increased profit from agricultural activities have created this problem.
Would the Minister agree or disagree that the price of £19 per acre is totally inadequate, even for poor land?
(Cavan): Of course the price of £19 per acre is an average taken for the whole country.
I understood the Minister to say that it was £19 in Wexford and £17 in the remainder of the country.
(Cavan): Even in County Wexford where there is not much land on offer, that includes the worst and the best types of land. The Department of Lands are paying as much as £60 or £70 per acre. I agree that even that is not sufficient to encourage people to sell land to the forestry section. The question arises regarding the economics of paying more for land and planting. This problem has arisen in the last 12 months or two years because of the increased price for land and it is a matter on which a policy decision will have to be taken in the near future.