Special Committee Wildlife Bill, 1975 debate -
Tuesday, 26 Oct 1976

SECTION 56.

Question proposed: "That section 56 stand part of the Bill."

Mr. T. J. Fitzpatrick

(Cavan): The main object of this section is to enable the Minister to use and manage, as appropriate, land acquired by him under the Forestry Acts or under this Bill, for afforestation, wildlife conservation, game development and other kindred purposes.

Under the Forestry Acts, the Minister's authority in relation to land use is basically confined to commercial afforestation. However, not all land acquired under those Acts is suitable for afforestation—some large "takes" include areas which are unplantable for one reason or another but which could be valuable for, say, wildlife conservation. On the other hand, the demand for recreational areas has spurred the Forest and Wildlife Service in recent years into a successful blending of the commercial aspects of State forests with their vast recreational and educational potential.

It is important that the Minister should have flexibility to use and manage all land acquired, or to be acquired in the future, in the interests of fulfilling his responsibilities in relation to wildlife conservation, game development and afforestation with their many ancillary aspects in the educational/scientific and amenity/recreational spheres.

At the moment the Minister or the Department are confined in the use of land acquired under the Forestry Acts to use it for forestry purposes. This section gives flexible powers to the Minister and his Department to use land already acquired or to be acquired either under the Forestry Acts or under this Bill for afforestation, wildlife conservation or the other things I mentioned. This is highly desirable.

Mr. Haughey

That is very reasonable.

Mr. Tunney

The de facto position would seem to be that to date the Department have not been inhibited all that much if there is evidence that this has taken place.

Mr. T. J. Fitzpatrick

(Cavan): We operated rather loosely.

Mr. J. O’Leary

Will the Minister confirm that to date the position has been that the Forestry Division of the Department of Lands have operated mainly with the aid of grants from Bord Fáilte and other agents.

Mr. T. J. Fitzpatrick

(Cavan): No.

Mr. J. O’Leary

From now on will the Department operate under the Vote for the Forestry Division?

Mr. T. J. Fitzpatrick

(Cavan): It would not be correct to say we operate mainly with grants from Bord Fáilte. On occasions we may have cooperated with Bord Fáilte in the provision of certain amenities but the bulk of the money spent on forest parks and so on has been from the Vote for the Forestry Section of my Department and this will continue to be the position.

Mr. L’Estrange

If the Department purchase 100 acres of land for forestry purposes and this includes ten or 20 acres of good agricultural land—this happens quite often—it is very difficult to get the Forestry Section to sell to local farmers. Will this provision help in this area?

Mr. T. J. Fitzpatrick

(Cavan): Agriculture is doing so well at the moment that there is practically no such thing as bad land. The Deputy mentioned the instance of 100 acres of land being acquired of which ten or 20 acres is good agricultural land. The position is that we get that cleared by the Land Commission. If they say that the land is too good for our purposes, that they want it for the relief of congestion, we give it to the Land Commission and let them divide it.

Mr. L’Estrange

Very often it may not be suitable for the Land Commission to take it over and to divide it. They may not be interested in taking over ten or 20 acres. A local farmer might be prepared to buy it at a good price but at the present time it is impossible to get the Land Commission and the Forestry Section to agree to those sales.

Mr. T. J. Fitzpatrick

(Cavan): If the Forestry Section were to deal directly with individual farmers they might land themselves in trouble. The procedure we have been adopting is to submit the “take” to the Land Commission for investigation and inspection. The Land Commission acquire holdings as small as ten or 20 acres. In the case of acquisition of 100 acres where there is a small portion of good agricultural land, as mentioned by the Deputy that would be useful to an adjoining small farmer, they will take it over and allot it to him.

Mr. L’Estrange

I have tried a dozen times in the last ten or 15 years to have this done but without success. Excellent land has been refused.

Mr. T. J. Fitzpatrick

(Cavan): There might be a difference of opinion.

Mr. L’Estrange

I have a reasonably good idea of agricultural land—as good as a Land Commission inspector.

Question put and agreed to.