asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the forest area already thinned and proposed to be thinned for the period from 1st April, 1957, to 31st March, 1958, and the estimated tonnage of the produce thereof.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Forestry Thinnings.
In introducing the Forestry Vote for 1957-58, I gave a general forecast of the thinning programme for the year.
A considerable proportion of thinning is effected by standing sale and the date of completion of the sale contract is treated as the effective date of thinning for statistical purposes. Statistical data cannot readily be assembled until the close of the year. There is a similar difficulty in the case of areas thinned by direct labour. Such work continues from year to year in many forests and accurate statistical recording of progress cannot be economically undertaken at shorter intervals than the full year.