The total net Vote proposed for the current year is £185,424, an increase of £37,321 on the provision for 1938-39. The increase is mainly under sub-head C (1), which provides for the acquisition of land. The area taken over last year amounts to 7,509 acres and represents a reduction as compared with previous years. The restrictions on the Land Commission's power of acquiring land to which I referred when dealing with the last Vote have naturally affected the provision of land for afforestation, much of which is found each year on estates divided by the Land Commission. There are a number of large blocks of land which will come into the Department's possession early this year so that acquisition of land has not fallen so much behind as would appear at first, and it is hoped that the figures for the current financial year will show a very considerable increase in the area of State forest land.
The past year has been marked by continued claims to grazing and turbary rights and to rights of way on land acquired for forestry purposes and these claims have seriously impeded operations and necessitated a curtailment of the planting programme. Unfortunately, enthusiasm for forestry is singularly lacking in certain districts where forestry operations could be undertaken on a comparatively large scale with every prospect of success, and where the local people would benefit by an extension of the State's effort to build up strong reserves of timbered land.
The area planted during the season just closing amounts to about 7,500 acres (final figures are not yet available) as compared with 7,388 acres for the season 1937-38. This is a slight increase, but a greater programme would have been carried through if it were not for the local opposition previously referred to. I fully expected we would have planted 10,000 acres this year.
The total area of forest land in the hands of the State is now approximately 127,590 acres, of which about 85,000 acres are under plantations, the remainder being scrub-covered land not yet cleared, bare land ready for planting, unplantable land, etc. The number of forest centres has been increased by seven, recent additions being centres at Granard, County Longford; Lisgoold, County Cork; Freshford, County Kilkenny; Ballinasloe, County Galway; Lough Gill, County Sligo, and Ossory, County Leix. There is now only one county— County Meath—in which no land has as yet been acquired by the State for forestry purposes.
The problem of providing more employment on forest work in the Gaeltacht and in western districts generally is being pursued but it has been found, as in previous years, that land of suitable quality for planting is difficult to secure even in comparatively small lots and most of the land offered for forestry purposes consists of exposed mountain areas with poor soil conditions or of still more useless bog.
The provision required in respect of each sub-head is shown in the Estimates Volume and I need refer only to the items which seem to call for special comment. There is an increase of £1,819 under sub-head A, due to normal increases in salaries and additions to staff. There is an increase of £25,000 under sub-head C (1) for the acquisition of land. The amounts voted under this sub-head being by way of Grant-in-Aid are not surrendered at the end of the financial year. The unexpended balance in the fund on 31st March last was £21,298, but against this there are commitments in respect of the purchase of some 9,000 acres for which the Department's offers have been accepted by the owners and about 11,000 acres in the hands of the Land Commission. Offers for the purchase of large additional areas will issue as soon as possible and there are prospects of the acquisition of some 30,000 acres additional to the State forest land in the near future.
There is an increase of £11,557 under sub-head C (2). This is mainly due to the increase in labourers' wages and a reduction in the hours of work.
The amount required for the purchase of seeds, seedlings and transplants has been reduced to a minimum in view of the extensive stocks now available in the State nurseries. The supply of seeds must, of course, be continued annually, but purchases of seedlings and transplants from outside sources should not normally be necessary to any great extent. As, however, plants are usually three years old when finally planted out it will be appreciated that, ignoring the seasonal fluctuations in the returns from any given quantities of seed, it would be necessary to settle planting programmes definitely three years in advance in order to permit of the purchases of the correct proportions of seed of the various species. The Department have not yet been able to secure a definite reserve of plantable land sufficiently far in advance, or to confine planting operations to the older established forest areas and, therefore, the selection of species of seed to be purchased has to be made on a somewhat arbitrary basis with the result that there has been a surplus of plants of one or two varieties and a shortage in others.
Purchases of seedlings and transplants are confined, as far as possible, to commercial nurseries in this country, but it is frequently necessary to obtain stocks from both Great Britain and the Continent.
The number of men employed during the past year rose from a minimum of 1,114 in June to a total of 2,092 during the month of March, which is usually the peak period of employment. The corresponding figures for the year 1937-38 were 1,046 and 2,111, respectively.
There have been established up to the present 91 separate forest areas. The shortage of trained staff is being overcome as rapidly as possible and 12 trainees are being recruited annually. A very good type of candidate is being secured through the medium of the examinations conducted by the Civil Service Commissioners and a sound practical and theoretical training extending over a period of not less than three years is given to the successful competitors.
Provision is being made for the erection this year of three foresters' residences. Many of the forest areas are situated in isolated districts and it is not often possible to purchase, with the lands, suitable types of buildings for occupation by the officers in charge. As a consequence, foresters often have to reside at inconvenient distances from the areas under their control and this is unsatisfactory. The Department hope to give special attention to the provision of houses for foresters in the future. The erection of the three houses this year is only a start and I hope many more will soon follow.
There is a decrease of £1,107 under sub-head C (3). The main provision is in respect of the running of the Department's sawmill at Dundrum, County Tipperary, and provision has been made for certain necessary repairs and replacements of the machinery. There is also a portable sawing equipment located at Avondale, Rathdrum, County Wicklow, but the purchase of additional equipment of this type, which had been contemplated in previous years, has been postponed, pending further consideration of the results to be obtained from the use of the one on hands.
There is a small increase of £50 under sub-head D (1). This is mainly needed to provide for payment of the second instalment of the grant in respect of areas planted some years ago. There is no sign of any increased demand for these grants, which are intended to assist landowners to undertake planting operations on proper lines, on their own lands. This is regrettable and the Department would be very glad to see owners of lands which are not suitable for other purposes carrying out planting operations to a much greater extent. No conditions are imposed which are not necessary for the production of trees of timber quality, and, even allowing for the cost of necessary fencing against rabbits, a grant of £4 per acre planted should be a considerable inducement to land owners to put some of their waste ground to profitable and serviceable use.
The amount asked for under sub-head D (2) is the same as last year. Under the scheme a limited number of trees is supplied free to any school for planting by the pupils in the school grounds or other suitable places. The number of schools participating decreases every year. In 1935, the first year of the scheme, over 1,500 schools participated; in 1936 the number was about 900, in 1937 this had fallen to 641, and last year only 572 schools applied for trees. This falling off, however, can be ascribed, to a large extent, to the fact that many of the schools have planted up all the land readily available to their pupils.
There is a slight increase in the amount asked for under sub-head E (1) as compared with last year. The scheme for the provision of an annual scholarship in forestry, tenable at the National University, has been dropped, at least for the present. A number of private students are now, and for some years back, taking this course in the University, and as these students, on graduation, will meet the needs of the State Forest service for trained forestry experts it is not considered advisable to continue the award of scholarships. Provision has been made for the maintenance of the scholarship awarded in 1937.
Separate provision has been made for the first time this year for sending two subordinate technical officers for a course of training abroad of about three months' duration. Last year a forester and a trainee who had finished the course at the Avondale School of Forestry were sent to Germany to study conditions and organisation in the German forest service. It is considered that experience gained as a result of training courses in other countries will be of considerable advantage to the forestry service of this country in later years.
The provision for the upkeep of the Avondale School of Forestry is on the same lines as last year as it was not found possible to complete the installation of electric light and the new water supply before the close of the last financial year. There are at present 24 trainees (12 first year and 12 third year trainees) in residence at the school. The ten second year trainees are located at various forest centres throughout the country.
The estimated income from all sources is shown under sub-head H and an increase of about £350 on the figure for 1938/39 is anticipated.