State planting targets and funding
Daly argued that State planting was below target and the report proposed neither higher planting targets nor adequate financial priority; D’Arcy disputed that planting was declining, citing 7,000 hectares planted, including about 1,300 hectares of reafforestation. He said decisions on the report’s recommendations rested with the Government.
Is the Minister of State aware that the State planting programme at present is in decline? It has not reached its objectives and in the review group report which has been published there is no indication whatever that the group or even the Department wish to move in the direction of increasing planting targets. Is he further aware that the review group also envisage a very low financial priority for the Department in future? What action does he hope to take to deal with these two areas, the revision of the planting targets to increase the number of acres under plantation and the provision of finances to enable them to do the job?
Comment on this
As with fisheries, if a report is available it is up to the Government who make the decisions to make their assessment of the report and make recommendations. The same applies to forestry as to the fisheries. I cannot run in front of a decision made by the Government. This is a very valuable report containing very good recommendations and it is up to the Government to make decisions in respect of those recommendations.