asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the amount by which the amount payable to each local authority in relief of rates on agricultural land for the current year would be increased or reduced, as the case may be, under the Bill now circulated compared with the amount that would have been payableif last year's system had been continued.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Land—Relief of Rates.
The information asked for by the Deputy is not available in the Department. It could be supplied only by the local authorities concerned after examination of the terms of the proposed new legislation.
How is it that this information has always been provided in answer to previous questions?
I am not aware that it was.
This is an exact repeat of a question asked by me last February in respect of which I got the information up to February. I am now asking for the modern information bringing it from February to date?
At a later stage, when local bodies have examined the legislation that is before the House and its effects on their finances, it may be possible that they will be able to supply the information that the Deputy has asked for, but at this stage I do not think it would be reasonable to expect that they could.
This has nothing to do with legislation.
Has it not?
The question has nothing to do with legislation.
I think it has.
The question asks for factual information about the work being done by local authorities. Is the Minister looking at the same question as I am?
Question No. 29.
I beg the Minister's pardon. I thought the Minister was answering Question No. 30. I am sorry.
I am not always wrong.
It is 99 per cent. certain that it is wrong. That is why I took the Minister up.