§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDI beg to ask the Vice - President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether the Estates Commissioners have been authorised by the Treasury to purchase in the interests of State reafforestation woods and forests on estates sold in Ireland under the Purchase Acts; and whether this is being done at present.
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR IRELAND (Mr. T. W. RUSSELL,) Tyrone, S.I presume the hon. Member desires to ask whether the Department has been authorised to purchase woods from the Estates Commissioners as they 1621 come into their possession. The answer is in the negative, but negotiations with the Treasury are pending and the Department has in the meantime purchased from the Commissioners the woods of Dundrum and Camolin in Tipperary and Wexford at a cost of something like £10,000.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDasked what progress had been made towards carrying out the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Afforestation, which sat last year in Ireland, and was it not a fact that the findings of that Committee had the approval of the whole of the public.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLsaid it was true they had the approval of the whole of the public, but he could not add anything to what he had said.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDsaid that in view of the urgency of the question he would again call attention to it at an early date.