asked the Minister for Agriculture if, in order to ensure that an adequate number of men will be available in every district to assist in harvesting operations, he will take steps immediately to ascertain from farmers the approximate amount of additional labour they require, and further, if he will ascertain the amount of suitable labour available for employment in each district.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Labour for Harvesting Operations.
Special inquiries recently made by my Department indicate that, generally speaking, no real shortage of labour for harvest is to be anticipated. I may also mention that in 1918, when more than 1,456,000 acres were under corn crops in the Twenty-Six Counties, no special difficulty was experienced as regards labour for harvest. Moreover, harvesting operations are now performed to a much greater extent by the help of tractors and binders. I see no reason, therefore, why this year's grain crops, even if more extensive than those of 1918, cannot be dealt with provided arrangements are made for those who are now engaged in the winning of turf to be available for the corn harvest.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, I should like to ask him whether he has taken into consideration the possibility of the weather being very favourable? In that case, the amount of labour required would probably be three times the amount required in normal times. That occurred in 1930, and there is a possibility that a similar situation might occur this year. I should like to ask if the Minister has made any provision for such an event?
We try to take everything into consideration.
I should like to know if the Minister will take steps to prevent people who have been engaged on farming for a number of years from leaving for England? I am not now referring to the unemployed, but to men who have been engaged on all forms of farming—on harvesting, the winning of turf and everything else. I should like to ask the Minister if he has taken any steps to get those people to remain on the farms?
That is a separate question.
It comes to the same thing.