asked the Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry if, in view of the scarcity and difficulties in acquiring timber by processors from our forests, the steps he proposes to take to intensify afforestation which would boost employment in rural areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Afforestation Development.
26.
In their plan Building on Reality the Government affirmed their determination to ensure that our national forests are developed to the maximum national advantage and that Government investment in forestry over the period of the plan would aim, inter alia, at the establishment of plantations at an annual average rate of 7,500 hectares. The current State planting programme is broadly in line with that target. In addition to the State planting programme, my Department operate two planting grant schemes aimed at encouraging the expansion of private forestry and a special publicity campaign was recently carried out to promote those schemes. I am glad to say that the response to that campaign has been quite encouraging and I am hopeful that as a result there will be a substantial increase in the level of private planting in the years ahead.
It is fine to talk about afforestation, but it is a very serious matter to ensure that at maturity the timber will be used to the best advantage and will produce jobs. Will the Minister agree that there is great dissatisfaction among processors — and this has been the case over the years — regarding the tendering system and the practice of imposing restrictions regarding quantities and so forth? Small processors have been practically eliminated from tendering in many cases.
The question referred to proposals to intensify afforestation and boost employment in rural areas and I think I have given a reasonable reply to that question. The points raised by the Deputy have been taken up by me since I have come into this Department. We are certainly taking action in those areas to eliminate, as far as possible, some of the difficulties which have arisen in procuring supplies for the sawmilling industry. I would have to say that the capacity in the sawmilling area vastly exceeds the amount of timber which is now available in the industry. Forests that were proceeded with during the first Coalition almost 40 years ago will come to fruition in eight or nine years time and when this timber becomes available there will be a huge increase in the amount available for the industry. The amount of timber becoming available is increasing annually but the people involved in the timber processing and sawmilling business have capacity that far exceeds the amount of timber available.
The Minister must be aware that the planting targets have not been reached. In fact the rate of planting is in decline. Last year something in the region of 6,000 hectares were planted, whereas the objective is 10,000 hectares. Can the Minister indicate what action he proposes to enable us to fulfil the objective of planting 10,000 hectares per year? The Minister cannot say that last year's planting of 6,000 hectares was on target.
That could be the case if the Deputy had his facts right but of course he has not. In 1984-856, 380 hectares were planted——
(Interruptions.)
If the Deputy would listen he would get the facts and may be he would take them on board. In 1985-86 there was an increase from 6,380 hectares to 7,284 hectares. As well as that, a total of 764 hectares were planted with the assistance of private planting grants. That is an increase of about 1,600 hectares in one year, if my arithmetic is right. The figures of planting are actually going in the right direction towards the target we have set out. The Deputy should accept the figures.
I fully accept the figures but the planting target is 10,000 hectares, of which roughly 6,000 hectares were planted last year. Can the Minister give some indication as to how he proposes to get back on target? The private afforestation is a separate matter which should be left aside for the moment.
I do not know if the Deputy is even listening to the replies he is getting. If he listened to the figures he would see that the target is being improved very considerably each year. In 1984-85 6,380 hectares were planted while in 1985-86 7,284 hectares were planted, an increase of 900 hectares. The Deputy uses other figures because these do not suit his case.
While we agree that there is adequate capacity, is it not true that the location of this capacity often involves the long haul of timber? Would it not be better to put more emphasis on small units which are not now grant-aided in a constituency such as my own where there are very heavy imports of pallet timber, fencing and posting which could be produced in small units, thereby creating employment where there is none at present?
The review body on the industry met some time ago and I will be bringing forward proposals at a future date concerning the whole policy in the timber area. I have been studying it during the past month since coming into the Department and I can assure the Deputy that there will be a look at the area he is concerned about.
How many hectares of those the Minister mentioned comprised cutaway forest which was replanted? I am quite sure he must have that figure.
I have just one figure. I was not asked for that information in the question. I have given the total figure.
The Minister's figures are totally misleading if he is referring to replanting.