asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will make a special grant available to the County Kerry Committee of Agriculture for the purpose of carrying out experiments in the application of cobalt in certain sheep pastures in South Kerry.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Kerry Sheep Pasture Experiments.
The cost of experimental work conducted by a committee of agriculture should normally be met out of the committee's ordinary funds. Legislation has very recently been enacted to enable county councils to raise increased agricultural rates for the service of the schemes of the committees of agriculture; and if an increased agricultural rate is made available in the coming year to the County Kerry Committee, my Department's grant to the committee will be increased correspondingly. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, experimental work in the use of cobalt on pastures was carried out in each of the last two years in County Kerry by officers of my Department. This work will, I hope, be continued in this year.