asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the plans, if any, for the control of the cutaway bogs, when Bord na Móna operations are completed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cutaway Bog Control.
33.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply on 27 February 1979 to a question in this connection by Deputy Noel Browne.
The inter-departmental committee have now completed the preparation of an interim report in this matter which they will be submitting to me within the next week or so. I will not be in a position to make any statement on the matter until I have had an opportunity of considering the interim report.
Has anybody outside the various Departments involved been invited to make submissions in regard to this? I am referring to Bord na Móna or the IFA or bodies of that nature.
I think that some nondepartmental bodies are represented on it.
I am particularly thinking of the IFA.
I am not sure whether they are represented but I know they expressed their views because they have written to me a number of times about it and I would have passed their views on to the committee.
Am I to understand from the Minister's reply that he has not considered this inter-departmental report yet?
I have not got it yet. I expect to get the interim report in a week or so.
I appreciate that it would take some time to consider but since energy is such a problem has the Minister considered the question of fastgrowing types of trees which are being used in other countries and which might be used in cutaway bogs of this nature for growth and development?
I think what the Deputy is referring to is what is generically called biomass. Research into biomass is being carried out at the moment by the National Board for Science and Technology in co-operation with the ESB. I understand that much of the research will now be carried out in County Mayo in conjunction with a small ESB peat fired station there. Some bogs in County Mayo will be used for the experimental growing of fastgrowing timber to be used in connection with this proposal.
There are sizeable tracts of land now available in Offaly. Can I take it from the Minister there have not been any experiments of that nature carried out in Offaly?
In Offaly?
In Offaly and in Laois, in the Midlands.
Bord na Móna have a substantial amount of cutaway bogs under cultivation at present. I do not know the exact up-to-date figure but I know that in one area alone which I visited they told me the area was 1,500 acres. Therefore, presumably the total area is a good deal greater. I speak purely as a layman but it may not be very economic to grow this sort of waste type timber that is suitable for biomass on cutaway bog. Cutaway bog may be a great deal more valuable than that and it may be that it would be more in the national and general economic interest to plant more valuable crops on cutaway bog than biomass-type timber which might be more usefully grown on poor quality western hills and bogs.
It is a wide open question. It depends on the type of land.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.
I wish to give notice that I intend to raise on the Adjournment this evening a question I mentioned here last week in connection with the nonpayment of disability benefits.
I will communicate with the Deputy during the afternoon.