asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he will make a statement on the purchase of land for private forestry in congested districts where small farmers need the land.

: While I am most anxious to stimulate and encourage private forestry throughout the country — especially in the western region for which very generous planting grants are now available — I am convinced that, as in the case of the State afforestation programme, the overall national interest is best served by restricting private forestry to lands which are not suitable or required for agricultural purposes.

: Would the Minister agree that previously land which was suitable for farming purposes was planted? Is it not time that his Department carried out a survey of the land remaining to ensure that the worst type of land is planted because at present there is no policy, or no selective method used to determine what areas are planted?

: The scheme operated by my Department concerns marginal lands which are not suitable for agricultural purposes. We are restricted, in a very practical way, in that the price we are allowed pay for land is subject to scrutiny elsewhere and that determines very quickly what kind of land we can purchase for the purpose of afforestation.

: Would the Minister not agree that a survey should be carried out to identify meadowland not suitable for farming which would be suitable for afforestation, especially now that there are substantial grants forthcoming from the EEC for private afforestation?

: The information in relation to the kind of land available is already available, I am sure, in the Agricultural Institute.