asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the total percentage of the land area of the country under forest; and how this compares with the European average.
Ceisteanna: Questions. Oral Answers. - Forestry Development.
11.
In Ireland approximately 5 per cent of the total land area is afforested. This compares with an average of 21 per cent for the EEC. While, within the EEC, Ireland has the lowest percentage of land under forestry it is worth mentioning that, per capita, we have a greater afforested area than many other member states. In addition, the growth rate in afforestation in this country is markedly higher than in any other member state and four times the average for the EEC as a whole.
As the Minister is aware, in 1982 we imported over £300 million worth of timber and allied products and I understand that our growth rate is particularly high compared to other EEC countries. Given the fact that, on average, we have one-quarter of the area under afforestation as a percentage of land area in the country as our EEC colleagues have, would the Minister indicate what type of expansion he can see in this over the next few years and whether his Department have a programme to ensure that all land which is suitable for afforestation will be taken in and used for that purpose?
That does not arise on this question.
Well, it arises on the next question.
Is the Minister aware that there is now a serious deterioration in our land reserves? If so, what proposals has he in mind and what allocations can he provide for this coming year to ensure that there will be adequate land available for future development?
I am aware of the situation. That is in reply to the first part of the Deputy's question. In relation to the resources available this year the Deputy will realise that at the moment we are discussing the Estimates and he will know that until discussions on the Estimates have been completed and published I am not in a position to comment on the level of allocation that will be made available for land acquisition for the coming year. Could I add that, together with the normal discussion on the Estimates under this particular subhead there is a document which is now with the Government in memorandum form proposing other ways and means of expanding the land acquisition process apart from the normal purchase-acquisition type of approach which has been traditionally the case.
The Minister will be aware that probably in the region of £400 million has been invested in forestry since the foundation of the State and since we got involved in forestry development. He will agree that there is national waste, in that one-third of the timber that can be produced is unsold and has remained unsold for the past two or three years or maybe longer. Have the Department and the Minister any proposals which would enable the available timber resources to be sold and, indeed, to substitute this timber for the imported timber that Deputy Molony is talking about?
Surely that does not arise out of the question?
It is very relevant.
It may be relevant to forestry and afforestation but it is not relevant to the question.
It is a matter of the percentage of land under forestry.
I want to ask on this question of forestry if the Minister would look at the situation in relation to the planting of bog at the moment where the Department of Forestry is buying bog and doing a blanket planting without giving any consideration to the turbary rights that people enjoy in some areas and where the land is taken over and there is no land left from which the Land Commission can provide turbary for tenants in local areas where they are anxious to have the bogs held and cut?
That is a question that I cannot answer here. If the Deputy wishes to put down a question and give details of the specific case I will definitely answer the question at any time.
Would the Minister have in his brief a breakdown county by county and make it available?
I have not got it in my brief but I can make it available to the Deputy.
Thank you very much.
12.
asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry whether he has satisfied himself with forestry development in the country; whether he feels that with more afforestation we might reduce our reliance on imported timber and allied products such as paper, packaging and newsprint; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Very substantial progress has been made to date in relation to the development of Irish forestry especially in the period since the mid-fifties. Indeed I would go so far as to say that the State afforestation programme represents one of our greatest modern achievements.
The overall policy objective continues to be the planting of 10,000 hectares per annum but the present reserve of plantable land is such that this level of afforestation is not practicable in the short term at any rate. However, efforts are continuing to increase the reserve of land for State forestry and also to encourage the private sector to make a more significant contribution than heretofore to the national afforestation programme.
Even though a very high proportion of our forests are still too young to produce marketable material, the timber supplies which are becoming increasingly available according as the forests mature and expand are being — and will continue to be — used in the interests of import substitution.
I appreciate the work that has been done by the Minister's Department in the past number of years but I am sure the Minister will agree that we have a problem given the amount of imported timber and allied products every year. I would ask the Minister whether he is satisfied that incentives exist to encourage the private sector to involve itself in policy development. Perhaps the Minister would also indicate the amount of land that is available that would be suitable for afforestation and that is now in private hands? I acknowledge the difficulty the Government have at this time in providing funds but I wonder if more could be done to encourage the private sector to involve itself in this industry?
I have not got the information in relation to the amount of land available but the Deputy can take it that a substantial area of marginal land that is suitable for forestry is available. The Deputy will also accept, I am sure, that there has been down the years a fair degree of antagonism or that people have not been prepared to allow afforestation to take place on their lands. There is an incentive scheme. There is a grant per acre which is a very substantial grant but which unfortunately up to now has not been availed of. The problem in relation to the present state of affairs is that new planting will not change the current situation. The planting that has taken place over the past two decades or that will take place over the next two decades will not change the current situation. Nature must take its course. Forests planted 40 years ago are now coming on stream as productive units. While we will continue to make efforts to extend the area of land planted it will not make any great immediate difference to the present position, which is fairly critical. We are making every effort to improve the position in the long term.
I am trying to find out what the position is. The Minister says there is a substantial amount of land available. Is that within his Department or is it in the country generally? Are the Department able to buy it or are the people who own land willing to have it used for forestry purposes? My concern is that whatever incentive exists at the moment, as the Minister pointed out, has not been made use of. That means that it has not worked as an incentive. This is very much a long-term programme. The situation is critical and is of great importance. Would the Minister and his Department review the incentive available to the private sector so that the private sector could involve itself directly, with the aid of grants, such as the turf development grants payable through Bord na Móna?
As I indicated in relation to the previous question there is at the moment before the Government a memorandum doing exactly what the Deputy is suggesting, in other words, indicating other means that might be used for getting more people interested in the development of their land through afforestation. The Deputy will appreciate that because of the timing of the question and because of the fact that this would not have been discussed by the Government, even though it has been circulated, I cannot give details of what this contains, but the Deputy can take it that this matter is in hands and hopefully will have beneficial results.
I am more interested in exploiting fully our present resources. While it is important to plant and develop for the future and to have a land reserve organised, it is highly important that more attention should be given to utilisation of our present resources. Our present resources are not being fully utilised and where the Department and the Minister have responsibility, I would ask what action the Department and the Minister propose to take to utilise fully our present resources. The Minister will be aware that a cubic foot of standing timber which is worth about £4 can have an added value to the tune of £100 if used as newsprint. Opportunities are not being exploited and the reserve that is there is not being used to the maximum.
I would like to point out that the Deputy is well aware of the difficulties that he encountered and, indeed, which he did not change in his term of office——
I was not there very long.
I am there as long as the Deputy was there up to now, the difference being that I have taken on the responsibility of getting together an inter-departmental committee to iron out the problems and I expect a report from them in a matter of weeks in respect of the marketing of existing timber. The Deputy will be glad to know that this committee are in existence and will be reporting to me urgently in relation to ironing out the anomalies in the marketing approach at the moment.