asked the Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry how many of the 44,500 hectares held by his Department on 31 December 1985 will not be planted because it is being preserved for wild life, conservation, nature reserves and amenity considerations; the number of the remaining hectares which are suitable for afforestation and are being held up because of legal problems; and whether he has purchased land for which he does not have exclusive rights and for which correct title is not available.
Written Answers. - Departmental Land.
222.
Of the 44,500 hectares in question an area of approximately 5,500 hectares is reserved for conservation and amenity purposes. Planting has been deferred on an area in the region of 800 hectares pending resolution of legal problems involving, for the most part, claims by local landowners to rights on commonage lands which my Department has purchased. About 8,500 hectares of land are held subject to grazing and/or turbary rights in favour of local landowners arising mainly from legal settlements made by my Department in the course of partitioning commonages.