Michael Lowry
Ceist:40 Mr. Lowry asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the measures, if any, he intends to take to increase the number of jobs in the timber industry in this country.
Written Answers. - Timber Industry Jobs.
The Government considers the timber industry to be a key industry which exploits the potential of our natural resources and has the capacity to create sustainable employment. Plans to increase employment in the industry from the current level of about 6,000 include
—The continued expansion of the planting programme with the target to increase planting to 30,000 hectares and to maintain this level to the year 2000.
—A doubling of the timber supply over the next 10 years.
—Building up the potential for downstream employment from processing forest output.
The Development Agencies, including the IDA, ABT, and Coillte are working together with the Irish Timber Council to draw up a plan which would put the sawmilling sector on an export oriented growth path. The IDA are also involved in certain negotiations aimed at leading to increased capacity in the board making sector. They are also, together with Coillte, in negotiations with a US company for the establishment of a joint venture between the US promoter and Coillte to produce oriented strand board in this country. These negotiations are, of course, confidential to the parties and it would not be appropriate for me to comment any further at this point.