asked the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Tourism the volume and value of timber imports in 1985; and the quantity of such imports that could be successfully produced here in Ireland.
Written Answers. - Timber Imports.
23.
I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to sawn softwood, and not to hardwood, panel boards or the like. I understand from the Central Statistics Office that the volume of sawn conifers imported in the period January to November 1985 the latest date for which such information is available was 216,000 m³ valued at approx. £28 million. Imported sawn conifers comprise whitewoods and redwoods. Irish timber is mainly substituted for the former and is now estimated to represent about 35 per cent of the total market, whereas in 1980 it was less than 25 per cent. It is expected over the next five years that market share could increase to about 45-50 per cent. An 80 per cent market share is the potential maximum because some imported timbers are not produced in Ireland. On the basis of our planting to date and development of our forests this level of market share is unlikely to be reached until well into the next decade.