asked the Minister for Lands whether he is prepared to reconsider the present position in the schemes for the provision of shelter belts in order that people in the congested districts with small acreages of land may avail of the benefits of those schemes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Provision of Shelter Belts.
The scheme of assistance for the planting of shelter belts is not administered by my Department but by the Department of Agriculture through the county committees.
Is the Minister aware that there was a scheme administered by his Department granting £10 to any farmer who planted his own land and that the Minister refused to bring that grant into line with present costs?
The grant of £10 is still available to any farmer who wishes to take advantage of it. This question, however, I take it, refers distinctly to the shelter belt scheme administered by county committees of agriculture and I do not want the £10 grant per acre from the Forestry Department to be confused with that. The Deputy mentions that I have refused to bring the present £10 grant into line with present costs. The £10 grant is still there and when a sufficient number of plants are available in the privatelyowned nurseries and when fencing material in sufficient quantities is available for the people to take advantage of it, I will be only too pleased to review the situation, but not until then.
Why did the Minister not give the Deputy the answer which he was obviously asking for and tell him that it was not proposed to increase the £10 grant?
The question I was asked, if the Deputy took the trouble to read it, is this:—
"To ask the Minister for Lands whether he is prepared to reconsider the present position in the schemes for the provision of shelter belts in order that people in the congested districts with small acreages of land may avail of the benefit of those schemes."
Under the Department of Lands.
The plantations provided for under the £10 grant by the Forestry Department are not shelter belts.
They often are.
Any tree is a shelter, if the Deputy wants to quibble about it.
You do not want to give the money.