asked the Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry if he is aware of the crisis in the saw-milling industry resulting in mills working at half capacity, and the general dissatisfaction at the loss of employment in the forests; and the proposals he has to remedy the situation.
Written Answers. - Saw-milling Industry.
52.
I do not accept that the saw-milling industry is in crisis. All available supplies of logs are being put on the market by my Department. The nominal capacity of sawmills in the country exceeds the total national available supply of sawlog by about 50 per cent, and this position will only gradually be redressed during the remainder of this decade. Some mills are operating at, or close to, full capacity but it is inevitable that others may operate at lower levels.
This year my Department is marketing at least the same amount of timber as in 1985 and employment in harvesting is expected to be maintained at previous levels.
If the Deputy is referring to some temporary workers whose employment was recently terminated, the position is that these workers were employed for seasonal or urgent work and were let go either following the completion of that work or as the available funds were running out. Many of these workers may be re-employed in 1987 for similar work and in fact 28 workers have been re-employed in the past month.