asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the steps being taken to process the output of State forests in this country.
Written Answers. - State Forests.
203.
My Department maintain close contacts with the Industrial Development Authority to seek to ensure the orderly development of industry as supplies of wood from State forests become available. The intention is that so far as possible the produce of the forests will be processed in this country.
The capacity of the sawmilling is now regarded as being broadly in balance with the output from State and private forests. The level of activity is, of course, related to developments in the building sector.
As regards pulpwood the situation was affected by the closure of processing mills in the current international recession. The IDA and my Department are continuing discussions with a number of international commercial users of pulpwood regarding industrial development in Ireland.