asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the number of ash saplings planted in 1957, and in 1958 to date; and whether it is proposed to cultivate an adequate proportion of such trees to provide hurleys for which suitable timber is rather scarce and expensive.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Planting of Ash Saplings.
The total number of ash trees planted in State forests in the 1956-57 planting season was approximately 41,000 and in the 1957-58 season approximately 67,000.
The level of planting of ash should be sufficient to meet any foreseeable demand for hurley manufacture in the future. The species accounts, of course, for only a small percentage of overall planting; suitable land is not often acquired.