asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the amount of Government spending on forestry each year since we joined the European Community; and the contribution that was made towards forestry development each year by EC resources.
Written Answers. - Expenditure on Forestry.
As regards expenditure on forestry in the period 1 January 1973 to 31 December 1983 I would refer the Deputy to the annual Appropriation Accounts. The provisional nett expenditure for the year ended 31 December 1984 is £33.7 million. No appropriations-in-Aid of the Forestry Vote in respect of forest development were received from EC sources prior to 1979. Receipts since that date are as follows:
Year |
Amount |
£m |
|
1979 |
0.025 |
1980 |
0.059 |
1981 |
0.034 |
1982 |
0.278 |
1983 |
0.031 |
1984 |
0.061 |
A sum of approximately £0.3 million is being provided from the European Regional Development Fund towards the cost of certain forest road development in the period 1983-87. In the period 1979-84, loans amounting to £70 million were made to the Irish Government by the European Investment Bank in respect of State forest development.