andMr. Bruton asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the implications of the reduction from £194,600 in 1980 to £15,100 in 1981 in the provision for agency, advisory and special services; and if this means the abandonment of the research programme on timber technology previously provided under this subhead.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Timber Research Programme.
7.
The reduction in the provision for agency advisory and special services in the estimate for Forestry for 1981 arises from the fact that only a token provision has been made for the funding by my Department of research on timber technology in the current year. There has been no decision to abandon such research.
Can the Minister give the House a guarantee that the advisory services will not be reduced, particularly in regard to private planting?
The advisory services concerned are within the IIRS and there will be no cutback on personnel there. In the past ten years we have spend almost £1 million, using them as an agency, for research in timber technology. We greatly value their contribution and hope to deal with them further.