asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the steps he will take to acquire additional land for forestry; and if there is adequate work to retain present forestry staff.

The intake of land for the State afforestation programme is an on-going process and is influenced each year by such factors as the level of funds provided for the purpose, the area of land on offer to the Forest and Wildlife Service, the stage reached in the various purchase negotiations and the extent to which the legal aspects of individual transactions are completed.

I am glad to say that this year the funds available for land acquisition for forestry, amounting to some £4½ million, will permit the intake of about 16,000 acres out of the aggregate area of 23,000 acres for which, at a recent date, price agreement with landowners had been reached and for which title clearance is pending. In addition, the processing of all fresh offers of land will continue as part of the on-going programme.

As regards the forest employment situation, every effort is being made to ensure adequate work for the current labour force numbering over 2,500 in 246 State forests throughout the country, each with its own individual labour requirements. If, in the light of the work programme in any particular forest, a reduction in the number on the payroll becomes unavoidable, this will be achieved, as far as practicable, through natural wastage and redundancies will be kept on a minimum.

Would the Minister agree that there is a 30 per cent shortfall in the 1958 forestry programme of 10,000 hectares per year? Would he agree that it is serious, at a time when a considerable amount of suitable land is available, that we are not meeting that low target?

There is a reduction, as the Deputy said. It has been accepted by successive Governments since that time — and I emphasise successive Governments — that we had to cut back on that target. It is my wish that we should continue to increase our intake and our planting to reach the original target of 25,000 acres per year.

In the review on forestry in Ireland recently it is stated that there is an immediate danger of redundancies amongst forest workers and that there is an under-utilisation of plant and machinery. Would the Minister agree that this will erode confidence in an industry which should be improving instead of deteriorating?

We have had notices of four redundancies this year. There are difficulties in acquiring land. The four redundancies were caused by the non-availability of suitable land in the vicinity of the forest in which these people work. There are social problems and traditional, attitudinal problems in relation to the sale of land by farmers, even marginal land which they know, and everybody knows, is not suitable for agricultural purposes.

Would the Minister agree that when we examine this document we are not talking about an individual area where there were four redundancies? The overall afforestation picture is dismal, and that is an indictment of any Government Department.

I would not accept that. There is room for improvement, and every effort is being made by me to secure an increased acreage from here on in. Steps are being taken to ensure that is done.

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