§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture for Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the unanimous resolution of the Cork Council on 3rd instant on the subject of the important Report of the Departmental Committee on Irish Forestry in April last urging the Department to take practical steps towards carrying out the national scheme of afforestation recommended by the Committee and pledging the county council to co-operate with the Department by every means within its [...]ower; and whether, in view of the 284 public feeling in Ireland in favour of a national scheme of afforestation, and of the amount of employment of a reproductive character which such a scheme would involve at a period of the year when employment is most needed, the Department are prepared to take prompt action in this matter.
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR IRELAND (Mr. T. W. RUSSELL,) Tyrone, S.The Department have received the resolution referred to. I regret that I am not at present in a position to add anything to the Answers I have given to previous Questions on this subject.
§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)Do the Estates Commissioners possess power to purchase woods in the landlord's hands when estates are being sold with a view to the preservation of the timber?
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLThey have power to purchase, but the practice has been in the past to sell them to timber merchants to be cut down.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANWere not the famous Dun drum Woods purchased by the Commissioners.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLYes, and they afterwards passed into the hands of the Department for preservation.