asked the Minister for Lands if he will furnish the following particulars in regard to the forestry assets which are the property of the State: (1) the total estimated capital value of such assets at the latest convenient date, and (2) if possible, the estimated capital value of such assets under the following or analogous heads: (a) houses and buildings, (b) plant and machinery, (c) stores and tools, (d) unplanted lands, (e) planted lands, (f) growing timber of 15 years' standing or under, and (g) growing timber of more than 15 years' standing.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Forestry Assets.
The particulars sought by the Deputy are not available. Various attempts have been made to estimate the capital value of the State forest property as a whole but such estimation cannot be effected on a reliable basis because of the difficulties associated with the volumetric assessment of large areas of growing plantations on the one hand and the impossibility of reliable adjustment of actual immediate value of young plantations by reference to their ultimate potential value many years later. The alternative theoretic method of assuming actual expenditure with allowance for hypothetical interest rates to represent capital values does not provide reliable information.