asked the Minister for Agriculture what steps he has taken to extend the scheme for the provision of tomato houses in the South Kerry Gaeltacht.
- Provision of Tomato Houses.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will arrange for the extension to South Kerry of the glass-house tomato-cultivation scheme which is in operation in West Donegal and Connemara.
Mr. Walsh
With your permission, a Chinn Chomhairle, I propose to answer Questions Nos. 71 and 72 together.
There has been no decision to extend the Gaeltacht glass-house scheme to the South Kerry Gaeltacht or to any other part of the Gaeltacht. The whole question of development of the scheme is being examined by the inter-departmental committee on Gaeltacht developments which is presided over by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Government and to the Minister for Lands.
Is the Minister aware that an organiser from the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society visited South Kerry recently informing the people there that he had instructions to select applicants for the tomato-growing scheme? Is he aware that this organisation has no contact with the Gaeltacht, no creameries in the Gaeltacht and no information relating to the Gaeltacht? Will he agree that it was a wrong procedure to ask these people to apply or to intervene at all in connection with tomato growing in the Kerry Gaeltacht? Will he now reconsider the whole matter with a view to sanctioning a tomato-growing scheme for our Kerry Gaeltacht on somewhat similar lines as the schemes in Galway and Donegal?
I hope it will be better than in Donegal.
Mr. Walsh
The Irish Agricultural Organisation Society is a purely voluntary organisation and has no statutory foundation.
Is the Minister aware — he probably is — that South Kerry comprises Fíor-Ghaeltacht, Gaeltacht and Breac-Ghaeltacht? May I take it that if the Minister brings in such a scheme as tomato growing it will apply to the whole of South Kerry because of that?
Mr. Walsh
The whole question of the development of the scheme is being considered, as I stated, by the interdepartmental committee on Gaeltacht developments, presided over by the Parliamentary Secretary.
I thought that it was going to blaze forth in glory.
The Deputy was opposed to tomato growing under Deputy Smith.
Oh strongly. It is the most grotesque cod and I propose to deal with it on the Supplementary Estimate.
What about the £50 per acre stuff?
Wait until they start growing onions in the glass-houses. That will make the tomatoes cry.