§ MR. SHEEHAN (Cork County, Mid.)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he has received a resolution, unanimously passed at the last meeting of the Cork County Council, adverting to the Report of the Departmental Committee on Irish Forestry, pointing out that the land in woods in Ireland is now the lowest of any country in Europe, and insisting that a comprehensive scheme of forestry can only be carried out under the direction of the State; and, seeing the urgent necessity of the national scheme of afforestation recommended by the Forestry Committee, will he state what steps are being taken to give effect to the recommendations of this Committee, and whether it is proposed to include provisions in the amending Land Bill penalising the cutting down of trees unnecessarily by purchasing tenants.
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR IRELAND (Mr. T. W. RUSSELL,) Tyrone, S.The Department have received a copy of a resolution adopted by the Cork County Council referred to. I regret that I am not at present in a position to add anything to my Answer to a somewhat similar Question put by the hon. Member for East Clare on 20th October.
§ MR. CULLINAN (Tipperary, S.)Cannot steps be taken to prevent landlords clearing away the timber, and thus destroying the beauty spots of Ireland?
§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)Is it not the fact that when Irish landlords sell their estates under the Act they cut down the timber? Cannot steps be taken under the existing law to prevent that?
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLI am aware that both landlords and tenants are cutting down timber as fast as they can, and I very much regret it.
§ MR. SHEEHANCannot some provision be inserted in the Land Bill to put a stop to this practice?
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLPerhaps the hon. Member will wait till the Bill is introduced.