Dáil Éireann - Volume 340 - 09 March, 1983

Written Answers. - Forestry Trimmings Exports.

450. Mr. M. Ahern asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the volume of forestry trimmings exported to Sweden over the last five years; if he will give a breakdown for each year; and the amount of revenue that accrued over the five years with a breakdown for each year.

Minister for Fisheries and Forestry (Mr. O'Toole): Statistics on the lines requested are not compiled by my Department. However, the attached table sets out, for recent years, some relevant information, abstracted from Central Statistics Office publications, which I trust will be of interest to the Deputy. I should add that, due to lack of sufficient domestic outlets in recent times, the export of pulpwood size material was accepted as a temporary measure in the interests of maintaining harvesting expertise in the forests and promoting employment in timber harvesting and haulage.

Pulpwood exports to Sweden

Years

Pulpwood in the round

Pulpwood in chipped form

Volume

Value

Volume

Value

(tonnes)

(£'000)

(tonnes)

(£'000)

1978*

1979*

1980

11,075

199

1981

114,691

2,030

18,976

391

1982 (to Oct.)

122,179

2,231

13,803

295

Totals

237,945

4,460

32,779

686

*Separate figures for Sweden not available.