andBlaney asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will reconsider the decision not to operate a certified seed oat scheme in County Donegal this year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Donegal Certified Seed Oat Scheme.
County Donegal is not being excluded from the scheme for the certification of seed oats which is being introduced this year. I am prepared to consider applications from County Donegal or elsewhere for participation in the scheme provided applicants have suitable storage and handling facilities and are prepared to comply with the conditions of the scheme.
Is the Minister aware that there is dissatisfaction amongst the farming community and that the feeling is that this scheme, whatever the regulations are, is not as beneficial as it should be? In view of that, would the Minister not think it is false economy and bad agricultural policy, in a county like Donegal, to curtail in any way a certified seed oat scheme due to the fact that Donegal is the premier seed oat and oat-producing county? If there have appeared these published reports by the farmers' association that they are dissatisfied with the scheme — with the lack of a scheme or the type of scheme being operated — will the statement by the Minister satisfy their needs?
I could not say whether my reply would satisfy the persons to whom the Deputy refers in his question. This is a new scheme. There never was a scheme before until I started the scheme. We are strictly limited by the availability of mother seed, of which there existed none in Ireland until we propagated it. We will distribute all the available mother seed this year to the most suitable growers in order to establish this pedigree seed-breeding operation on a firm and satisfactory basis and to expand it so as to supply our domestic needs and the export inquiries which we are already receiving. I would direct the attention of the Deputy to the fact that the marvel is that we have got under way so quickly. I do not want to make any observation about what might have been done in the years that have rolled by.
Did the Minister not kill the pedigree production schemes that were in existence before he took office, as he killed other schemes? It is only now that he is starting to mend his hand.
There never was a pedigree oat seed scheme in existence. In the 20 years Fianna Fáil were in office, they never attempted to establish one.
The fellow does not know whether there was or not.
Could the Minister say if any variety of potato oats will be included in the pedigree scheme?
I am afraid I would require notice of that question.
He is so new to it, he does not know.