At Question Time to-day I asked the Minister for Agriculture: —
"If he has now completed inquiries as to the gravity of sheep losses by farmers in West Mayo, Galway, Clare, Donegal and Kerry during the blizzard last February, and, if so, if he will state the number of farmers in each county who suffered (a) total loss of their flocks and (b) partial but serious loss; and, further, if he will indicate whether the Government intend to extend any financial assistance to those who suffered such loss; and, if so, on what terms."
The Minister replied: —
"Reports to my Department covering all areas including the western districts indicate that there were no abnormal sheep losses by farmers last February. The position does not call for any special relief measures by the Government."
As a result of supplementary questions I did succeed in eliciting from the Minister that he had received reports of some losses. He said there was a report of one in Mayo and two in Connemara. I suggest that that information which the Minister supplied at Question Time to-day was not accurate. I presume the Minister has that information from his officials and if so, the only comment I have to make is that the officials did not make their inquiries in a very thorough manner. I will quote in a moment from a report in a newspaper which circulates very widely in County Mayo and parts of Galway. This report shows there were very serious losses.
This question of losses to sheep farmers, particularly in the hilly districts, is one that occurs with almost unfailing regularity every seven or eight years, certainly every ten years at the outside. While some farmers, because of the location of their mountain holdings, have suffered only partial losses the sheep flocks of others are being constantly wiped out. When there is an abnormally heavy snowfall and when the drifts pile up higher than usual farmers lose their cattle as well.
The Minister seems to take all this very lightly, but I suggest to him that in these particular areas this is a serious cause of the flight from the land. Scarcely any winter passes by that there is not some losses to sheep flocks there. If we expect these farmers to continue farming in these areas I hold that some small fund should be established to come to their rescue and give them a chance to restock their land without going through the painful process of trying to build up a fresh stock from lambs over a period of seven or eight years. It often happens that when they have brought them to the pitch of perfection a snowstorm occurs to set them back again for another seven or eight years.
I would like to quote an extract from the Mayo News of 20th February last in which there is a report of a personal explanation given by one of the farmers so affected. This farmer says: —
"I worked on farms in England and earned good money at piecework. I was not afraid to come back here and work when my father died and build up a good flock of sheep. I was making a good go of it and now this!"——
The report goes on to say: —
"— and he pointed to a putrefying carcase of an ewe and showed me how the carrion had plucked the unborn lamb.... `If the Government does not do something to help us to replace our stock, then I say to hell with all the sheep that were ever born. I will rear them no more'."
Further on the report states: —
"Better than replacing our stocks would be to get us out of this area to good land where we can make a living. What we have as land here is suitable only for the growing of trees. This is no suitable place for a man with a young family. Have you not seen the school — and the road to the school?"
If the Minister would go to the trouble of looking up reports of 20th February last he would find an appalling state of affairs. I myself can furnish to the Minister at least 40 names of people who suffered losses to their flocks ranging up to 300 sheep.