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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 25 Jun 1987

Vol. 373 No. 14

Written Answers. - Forestry Resources Development.

66.

asked the Minister for Energy if the development proposals prepared jointly by the Forestry and Wildlife Service and the Industrial Development Authority have been frustrated by a lack of timber supplies; whether this can be resolved by rescheduling the flow of timber from State forests; whether it represents a miscalculation on the part of the Forestry and Wildlife Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I am not aware of any planned development proposal which has been frustrated by inadequate forecasting of available timber supplies.

In 1987 the Forest and Wildlife Service will market 1.25 million cubic metres (m³) of timber. By 1993 this volume will reach 2 million m³ and by the year 2,000 a total of 3 million m³ of both sawlog and pulpwood will be put on the market.

At present, native sawlog timber accounts for 50 per cent of the home market for construction timber, an increase of the order of 35 per cent over the last seven years. By the early 1990s our share of the construction market should be at least 80 per cent.

As far as the pulpwood sector is concerned domestic supply and demand can be regarded as being in balance at present, but again, as on the sawlog side, there is reason to be optimistic about the future. Pulpwood supplies are increasing and a recent study by internationally renowned timber consultants predict a new pulpwood industry with the next three to four years and further pulpwood processing facilities by 1999.

While it is my wish to make more timber available on the market we must have regard to the danger of over-exploiting our forestry resources. Such over-exploitation or rescheduling of supplies might have certain short-term gains but in the longer term would not be in the interest of the State or the timber industry generally.

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