asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state why certain areas in the Rosses and Gweedore districts of West Donegal have been excluded from his Department's scheme for potato and oat seed distributions in congested areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Donegal Seed Distribution.
Mr. Walsh
Each year I am asked to provide sufficient seed under my Department'sseed distribution scheme to meet all applications from certain parts of County Donegal. The very nature of the scheme and the limited supplies of seed available preclude me from meeting this demand. I have, therefore, decided to introduce an alternate year rotational system of distribution in these areas. Under this system the quantity of seed which would ordinarily go to Cloghaneely and Annagry parishes this year will be diverted to supplement the Gweedore and Burtonport allocations. Next year the position will be reversed as between the two groups. In this way it is hoped to meet in alternate years the requirements of all eligible applicants in these four parishes, thus fulfilling the real object of the scheme, which is to provide a regular change of seed at intervals.
I hope that undue significance is not to be attached to the fact that the districts of Burtonport and Gweedore are this year getting the allocation which would normally go to Cloghaneely and Annagry. I think I can assure the Minister that I made no representations, and I think I can say for my colleague, Deputy Brennan, that he made no representations that seed oats and seed potatoes should be taken from Cloghaneely and Annagry this year to be distributed in other districts.
Mr. Walsh
Actually, nobody made representations. I fixed the areas myself.
You are solely responsible?
Mr. Walsh
Yes.
In view of the action of the Minister's predecessor in granting £1,000 for the purpose of providing seeds for each of these districts some two years ago, would the Minister not reconsider his decision and grant to persons living in these congested areas the seeds which they have been accustomed to get?
Mr. Walsh
This is not a schemeunder which we can provide seeds for every district in Donegal each year.
A Deputy
Is there a by-election pending?
A general election we are waiting for.
Mr. Walsh
There is no reduction in the total quantity of seed that is being allocated. The only difference is that we had applications coming in from the parishes for quantities in excess of the quantity we had to distribute. I think it is a far better scheme to meet the needs of the two Parishes of Gweedore and Burtonport this year and next year, when they will still have fresh seed, we can divert their supplies to the other parishes and give them seed which will be also fresh.
Is it not a very retrograde step, if you have a sufficient number of farmers in the congested area of West Donegal who are willing and anxious to get good seed, that we should tell the parishes of Annagry and Cloghaneely that the resources of the Irish Republic are not equal to providing their requirements, at the same time as we supply seed to Burtonport and Gweedore? Has it not been one of the Minister's difficulties that the people in these areas did not avail of the scheme? Is it not a deplorably dusty answer to these people when they do come forward and seek to co-operate with the scheme that we cannot supply all of them, that we can do only two parishes this year and two next year? Is it not the purest nonsense? I urge the Minister to reconsider his decision.
Mr. Walsh
There has been no reduction in the quantity of seed distributed.
You have more applications than you can deal with. Surely you should rejoice at that.
Mr. Walsh
I doubt if we have more applications.
Then why are you not giving them the seed?
Mr. Walsh
We are not short ofseed, but we think it better to try to improve the scheme just as we tried to improve some of the other schemes that were in operation when we took over.
That is the queerest one I ever heard.