asked the Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry the research projects which have been undertaken by the Forest and Wildlife Service into forest protection and plant health; if the EC have been involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Forest Protection.
17.
The Research Branch of my Department have an ongoing programme of research on forest protection and plant health matters. Such research is carried out on a variety of projects, details of which are set out in the annual reports of the Forest and Wildlife Service of my Department which are available in the Library.
The pollution of forests by acid rain is also monitored by the Research Branch of the Forest and Wildlife Service and there is also close collaboration with An Foras Forbartha, the Electricity Supply Board and the Meteorological Service in monitoring possible depositions. As part of the EC research programme, the Forest and Wildlife Service co-operated with the Macauley Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, on a project relating to the acidity of rainfall in the south and west of Ireland and part of Scotland.
With regard to plant health, the main work has been and continues to be on the implementation of the forestry aspects of the EC Plant Health Directive which involves regular dockside inspections of imported timber and forest plants, laboratory examination of samples and the issue of phytosanitary certificates. Apart from the EC matters to which I have referred, there has been no EC involvement in the area of forest protection, but it is hoped that some EC funding will be made available for the observation network set up to monitor acid depositions.
Can the Minister give us an indication of the number of personnel in his Department involved in this area and whether the section is not understaffed? Is he aware of the recent indications which show a sizeable increase in the volume of acid rain, on the east coast in particular? What action does the Minister propose to take to deal with this alarming situation?
I do not have the information in relation to the number of personnel employed in my Department who are engaged in this work.
Is it not a fact that the section is totally understaffed and that the Minister does not have the manpower to deal with a very critical situation which is developing at an alarming pace?
The Deputy is entitled to his opinion in relation to whether we are understaffed. In my opinion we have adequate staff.
I am just asking the Minister if the section are understaffed. He does not even know how many are involved.
Some monitoring has been carried out.
How many staff has the Minister?
I have already told the Deputy that I do not know exactly the number of staff involved in this. If the Deputy has included that in his question I could possibly have answered him.
The Minister of State is not aware of how many personnel are engaged in this work. I do not know how he could come to any judgment as to whether he has adequate staff. I am saying that he is hopelessly unprepared to deal with a very serious crisis. Has he any team to monitor the situation with regard to acid rain?
A certain amount of research has been carried out. Do I continue, a Cheann Comhairle?
Do continue. Tell us about the acid rain.
As part of the network of the Forest and Wildlife Service, a number of monitoring projects have already been established. There are two in the Dublin-Wicklow region and eight in the Clare-Limerick region. It is hoped to have established 20 projects in all by the end of 1986. That proves that there are a certain number of people working in this area. If the Deputy asks me a direct question in relation to the number I can tell him. The remaining plots have been sited in the Slieve Bloom and Wicklow areas which we hope will cover the east coast. As a result of some of the mapping that has already been done — and I am talking about the area which the Deputy represents, the Cork and Mayo areas done in the period 1982 to 1985 — the evidence is that there is no acid rain.
I want to draw the Minister's attention to the very recent——
I would ask the Deputy to be reasonable.
There will not be any afforestation in this country if some action is not taken to deal with the alarming position highlighted a few days ago.