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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 15 Mar 1939

Vol. 74 No. 15

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Seed Potatoes.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that there is a likelihood of a considerable shortage of seed potatoes, with consequent hardship on workers and small farmers, and if he is prepared to make available free seed potatoes in sufficient quantities to enable such persons plant a sufficient quantity of potatoes.

Generally speaking, I am satisfied from inquiries which I had made throughout the country that although crops have suffered to some extent, there are ample supplies of seed potatoes in most areas. A seed distribution scheme, intended mainly as a means of introducing and demonstrating the use of improved varieties of seed, is operated by my Department in certain of the poorer areas of the country and considerable quantities of seed potatoes have already been distributed to small holders at reduced prices under that scheme. My Department is not in a position to supply seed potatoes free of cost, nor is it their function to provide relief for necessitous persons.

I cannot dispute the Minister's sources of information—he has much better ones at his disposal than I have—but I would ask him to look into the position in West Cork. Perhaps he would be prepared to make further inquiries into the matter. It seems to me, from what I have heard at local boards and in the course of conversation with various people, that there is a very definite shortage extending beyond the areas served in the scheme that the Minister refers to.

I may inform the Deputy that we are constantly inquiring into the matter.

Will the Minister be kind enough to extend his inquiries into the County Monaghan, where my information exactly tallies with that of Deputy Murphy?

I have been making inquiries there.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that the Committee of Agriculture for the County of Cork has ascertained that there is a serious shortage of seed potatoes in the western portion of that county; and seeing that many of the small farmers in that area are not able to pay for seed, if his Department will come to their aid by supplying seed potatoes free of cost or at a nominal price.

There seems to be some difference of view locally as to the position regarding supplies of seed potatoes in County Cork.

A sub-committee of the County Committee of Agriculture recently reported that they had investigated the position and were satisfied that there was no general shortage of seed potatoes in the county. Subsequently the county committee adopted a resolution calling the attention of my Department to a shortage of seed potatoes in the western part of the county and requesting that the Department would supply seed potatoes free of cost.

My Department's Congested Areas Seed Distribution Scheme is in operation in West Cork and a supply of seed potatoes at reduced prices for small holders has been made available. While the distribution of seed under this scheme is, as I have already stated here, intended mainly as a means of introducing and demonstrating the use of improved varieties of seed, it is not meant as a relief scheme in the proper sense, although it will obviously help in necessitous cases in that area.

It is not the function of my Department to provide relief for necessitous persons. I am satisfied, however, from recent reports received from the Department's local officers that, although crops have suffered to some extent, there are, generally speaking, sufficient supplies of seed potatoes in the county.

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