asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state whether it is his intention to recoup fully Kilkenny County Committee of Agriculture the amount expended by them on advertisements in connection with the fowl pest.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fowl Pest Advertising Costs.
It is not the practice to make special recoupment to committees of agriculture in respect of expenditure on advertising and it is not proposed to depart from this practice in the case mentioned by the Deputy. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, a substantial annual contribution to the funds of the county committee amounting to close on 50 per cent. of the committee's normal income is made by my Department.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that it has cost the Kilkenny County Committee of Agriculture £96 to put in those advertisements and that the moneys available to the county committee had already been allocated? In view of that, this is going to mean a carry-over until next year.
I am so aware, but the Deputy is no doubt aware that the agricultural rate for the Kilkenny County Council is 4d. in the pound and that it yields an income of £5,700, that the Department's grant is £5,200 and that there is an unexpended balance brought forward from last year amounting to over £700. Therefore, there is a total income of £11,600 to meet an expenditure estimated at £11,700. It is open to the county committee to raise the rate if they wish to do it.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the time has already passed for the raising of the rates? The rates have already been struck by the Kilkenny County Council, and so there is no possibility of raising the rate now to get extra money for the county committee of agriculture.
I am sure there will be no difficulty in carrying it over till next year.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary contend that this charge should be regarded as a local one instead of being what it undoubtedly is—a national charge?
The Deputy is, no doubt, aware that the Department itself published extensively advertisements dealing with the fowl pest not only in the local papers in Kilkenny but in other parts of the country, and also in the daily newspapers. The advertisements which were published by the Kilkenny County Committee of Agriculture were supplementary to the Department's own advertising campaign.
Any advertisements that appeared in the local Press in County Kilkenny were paid for by the county committee of agriculture and not by the Department.
That is what I say. Deputy Smith asked a supplementary question as to whether this should not be regarded as a national rather than a local campaign. As I have said, the Department itself published a series of advertisements throughout the country dealing with the fowl pest.