asked the Minister for Agriculture what operations, if any, have been carried out in County Clare under the land rehabilitation project; and the nature, extent and cost of them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Rehabilitation Project.
In the six weeks since the project was initiated in County Clare 1,821 forms of application have been issued, of which 1,436 have been returned to the Department and are being investigated on the farms. So soon as maps and estimates are prepared, work will begin in this area, but until this essential preliminary surveying work is completed on a farm, no physical drainage can be undertaken.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the total amount expended since the 1st June, 1949, under the land rehabilitation project.
The answer to the question, as set down by the Deputy, is £147,221.
To enable the Deputy to appreciate the position, which a bald statement of total expenditure does not disclose, he may wish to have the following further information regarding this outlay:—
The following figures are estimated:—
|
A |
Applications received from 20 counties |
31,043 |
|
B |
Applications registered and analysed |
27,475 |
|
Acreage involved |
301,093 |
|
|
C |
Applications approved |
6,248 |
|
Acreage involved |
29,950 |
|
|
Total cost, including cost of Lime and Phosphates |
£410,144 |
|
|
D |
Number of holdings in which work is in progress |
3,255 |
|
Acreage involved |
15,443 |
|
|
E |
Number of holdings on which work has been completed |
71 |
|
Acreage involved |
305 |
|
|
F |
Number of persons employed:— |
|
|
(a) by Department:— |
||
|
(i) at Headquarters 33 |
340 |
|
|
(ii) in the Country 307 |
||
|
(b) by Farmers:— |
||
|
(i) wholetime 5,718 |
8,770 |
|
|
(ii) casual and part-time 3,052 |
||
|
(c) Spreading of Lime and Phosphates will, it is estimated, involve employment for |
636 |
|
|
(d) Manufacture of drainage pipes (estimated on the basis of the production of 50,000,000 pipes in one year) |
800 |
|
|
(e) Manufacture of fencing posts (estimated on the basis of the production of 30,000 posts in one year) |
30 |
|
|
Total actual and estimated employment |
10,576 |
|
Will the Minister indicate to the House whether he takes the view that the percentage of approvals out of the total number of applications submitted is disappointing or otherwise?
The Deputy will not think I am giving him a short answer when I tell him that I consider the performance virtually miraculous.
The miracle of the mountain and the mouse.