Apparently Deputy Corry is not interested in this question. He is apparently one of the few who have been able to dispose of their barley. At question time to-day I asked the Minister for Agriculture if he was aware that there are over 20,000 barrels of barley of this year's crop left on the hands of the farmers of North Tipperary, and if he would state what steps, if any, he proposes to take to enable such farmers to dispose of this barley without further delay. Not being satisfied with the answer which the Minister gave, and which I considered a rather vague and indefinite one in view of the urgency of this matter, I gave notice that I would raise it to-night. The Minister, when I gave that notice, was inclined to be irritable. I do not know why. I gathered that his irritation seemed to flow from the fact that I had not raised this matter before now. So far as I can gather, that was what he meant. I did not want to raise it, because the Minister, in a statement issued three or four weeks ago, told us that he had made arrangements with the corn buyers in this country which would enable farmers to dispose of their grain crops almost immediately. We were waiting to see that particular scheme come to something; it has come to nothing. This is a serious matter and a very urgent one, and for that reason I think the Minister ought to be definite in telling us what he proposes to do, or whether he has been able to get a scheme to enable farmers to dispose of this barley almost immediately.
The matter is urgent for two reasons, the main one being that in the barley growing areas, as Deputies who come from those counties know, it is the main cash crop of the year, and the farmers have to depend very largely on it to meet their commitments. We know that many farmers who have been unable to dispose of their grain crop this year have been served with six days' notice at the same time by the Government. The real urgency in this matter, as farmer Deputies will realise, is due to the fact that there is no storage. Of course I know that many farmers in the country have been fortunate enough, if you like, not to have their barley threshed. I am speaking of barely for the moment because it is the main concern so far as my question to-day is concerned. Others have had their corn threshed for a considerable time, and many of them had to hire sacks. In some cases the sacks are given free, but in other cases they have had to be hired, and so long as they have to keep the corn in those sacks the hireage is increasing and amounting to a very substantial sum. I think the Minister has been informed that so far as North Tipperary is concerned—and I think it is a conservative estimate—there are over 20,000 barrels undisposed of. I know it is not an easy matter for the Minister to deal with. There has been an almost unprecedented yield of barley this year —probably the best in living memory— and there are certain areas, of course, we must also realise, where there is less consumption than in other years, and I am afraid it is going to be still less. I do not want to drag the matter out, and have only raised it for the purpose of giving the Minister an opportunity of informing those who are really anxious about the matter as to what hope there is of disposing of their barley at a reasonable price and as soon as possible.