asked the Minister for Lands and Agriculture what is the policy of the Government in regard to the establishment of Beet Sugar factories in the Free State, and whether he will state if that policy includes the granting of State aid by means of subsidy, and, if so, what is the rate of subsidy which it is the intention to grant, and if the Minister will further state what is the intention of the Government regarding the allocation of sites and areas for factories, and what are the circumstances and considerations to be taken into account in that regard.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - BEET SUGAR FACTORIES.
As the Minister for Agriculture is not present at the moment, perhaps the answer could be given later.
There is no explanation why the answer is not forthcoming.
I will undertake to have an answer sent to the Deputy within a week.
I think that questions of this kind are sometimes of general as well as personal importance, and I think it should be understood that all answers which are supplied at a later stage should be inserted in the Official Report.
Certainly, but the Deputy will appreciate the fact that this is not an ordinary question, and that there is a request for a policy to be stated. I presume that the Deputy will bear in mind that a question of policy is a matter for the consideration of the Executive Council, and that it is reasonable to expect that the Minister for Agriculture would consult the Executive on the matter. It is a question which might properly be directed to the Minister for Finance.
I am not cavilling about the point of time, but I want to be assured that a question to which I am promised an answer either vocally or by letter will be inserted in the Official Report.
The answer will be circulated in the Official Report.
The general policy of the Government in regard to the establishment of a further beet sugar factory or factories is that announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget statement on 22nd April, 1925, mainly that consideration of this question must pend the results of a year or two's working of the initial factory at Carlow, and that in any event if a subsidy is sought for a further factory or factories it must necessarily, for financial reasons, be much less than that granted in respect of the sugar manufactured at the first or experimental factory. What subsidy, if any, would be fair and reasonable can be determined only from the results of the operations of the Carlow factory. The incidence of many relevant factors, e.g., average yield of beet; its sugar content and quality; fair price for beet; the cost of manufacture of sugar under the conditions obtaining in this country; the value locally of the by-products; the future trend of sugar prices, and so on, is still indefinite, and the operations of the Carlow factory and the experiments which the Department of Agriculture are conducting in every county should throw light on at least some of these matters. Meantime, it cannot be determined what subsidy, if any, a further factory might reasonably require, and I cannot, therefore, say. The Government do not, however, propose to depart from the general policy which I have in this reply reiterated unless and until some person or group of high repute and standing submits for the Government's consideration such a special or tempting offer as I mentioned in the Debate on Vote 29, Beet Sugar Subsidy, on 6th ultimo. Meantime, the question of sites and areas for further factories does not arise.