asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the price per ton paid to turf-cutting societies or other turf cutters for turf during the year 1940, and the price being paid at the present time.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Turf Producers' Earnings.
In connection with returns of prices of agricultural produce at markets, prices of turf are obtained from six centres. The prices given are, per load, of various weights and are used only for the purpose of estimating the value of turf produced or won in connection with estimates of agricultural output and are not published as real market prices. Other than this no information as to the prices obtained for turf by turf-cutting societies or other turf-cutters is available in my Department. Such prices vary a great deal with the district, the quality of the turf, and other factors, such as transport facilities and availability of other fuels. The prices are nearly always on a per load basis and "load" for this purpose is not a constant weight. For that reason, even if reliable figures were available, their translation into a price per ton would be impracticable. The Turf Development Board, which at one time arranged for the marketing of hand-won turf, produced by the turf co-operative societies at standard prices, did not purchase hand-won turf in 1940 and is not purchasing it now.
Do I understand from the Minister that, in spite of all the propaganda and all the general effort that was made to develop turf societies, his Department does not know at the present time what the turf societies get per ton for the turf which they sell?
I have already explained to the Deputy that the turf is not sold per ton, and the quantity and quality contained in a load vary so much that it is impossible to give figures on that basis.
For the information of the Minister may I say that in most of the bogs where the turf is sold by load the people will sell it by weight as well, and they would never be half cwt. out in the ton. It should be easy for the Minister to find out, even on those bogs, what the price of turf is.
Can the Minister say whether they are getting above or below the rate which was suggested some years ago when turf was being developed as an idea? Can he say whether they are getting above or below the 10/- per ton which it was suggested they might get at that time?
I do not remember that it was ever suggested that they might get 10/-, but in any event I do know, from tenders for large quantities which I have seen, that they are getting much more than 10/- per ton.
Can the Minister give us a rough idea of the figure?
If the Deputy will not bind me to be exactly correct, I think that turf has been tendered to the Department of Defence at 25/- per ton delivered at the Curragh.