asked the Minister for Finance whether, in view of the depressed state of agriculture and the losses sustained by the farmers due to the recent inclement weather, he is prepared to make money available to them for the purchase of stock, seeds and manures at a specially low rate of interest.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Loans for Farmers.
The Vote for Agriculture contains provisions for numerous schemes for enabling live stock of various descriptions to be leased or sold at reduced prices and to aid the farming community in many ways. In the congested districts and other poor areas, seed oats, potatoes and wheat, as well as artificial manures and lime have for some years past been made available at specially reduced rates, the provision in the current year's Estimates being seeds, £32,500; and manures and lime, £22,500. It is also proposed. subject to the approval of the Dáil, to make available for farmers generally at reduced rates during the current season certain types of fertilisers at a cost to the Exchequer estimated at £88,000 and, in addition, to provide £30,000 in the coming financial year for the purchase of lime. Moreover, loans by the Agricultural Credit Corporation at a reasonable rate of interest are available for the purchase of stock, seeds and manures. Having regard to these facts, there is, in my view, no necessity for the Exchequer also to render financial assistance by providing money at specially reduced rates of interest for the purposes which the Deputy has in mind.
Converted to Fine Gael!
Is the Minister not aware of the fact that, notwithstanding all the schemes he has enumerated, agriculture, nevertheless, has passed through a period of unparalleled depression, that that depression continues, and that it has been accentuated by the recent very inclement weather; and will he not take steps to make money available to farmers at specially low rates instead of at the abnormally high rate of interest charged by the Agricultural Credit Corporation?
I have answered that already.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, is he also aware that the proposal contained in this question is already part of the policy of Fine Gael, and are we therefore to assume that at no far distant date that policy will be adopted by the Fianna Fáil Party?