asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the amount of the special sum of £250,000 set aside for development of exports which has been spent, and the specific purposes to which it has been devoted.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Expenditure on Development of Exports.
The amount that has been spent so far out of the sum of £250,000 set aside for the general purpose of improving the marketing of agricultural produce is £4,039. This amount comprises £2,670 in respect of travelling and subsistence expenses of the Advisory Committee on the Marketing of Agricultural Produce, including expenses incurred on market investigations outside the State, and £1,369 in respect of staff and office expenses of the committee.
Do I take from the Minister's reply that from the sum of £250,000 voted for the purpose of developing agricultural exports, the Government to date, that is, after nearly two years, have spent only £4,000? If that is the case, does the Minister not consider that there is very wide scope for increasing the export market by advertising and so on? Does he not think it would be a good idea for the Government to do something about spending this money for the purpose of increasing agricultural export markets, something which is so necessary to-day not only here but in every country in the world?
What the Deputy suggests may arise all right.
Can the Minister not indicate some prospect of this money being spent in the future or used in some way? What is the sense in voting £250,000 for development of our export markets, if the Government are prepared to do nothing at all about it?
The committee has not made any proposal for the expenditure of that sum and I do not think the Dáil would agree that I should force them to spend the money in ways which they believe would be foolish——
I fully appreciate that, but surely the Minister for Agriculture must have some suggestions to make to this committee for the purpose of increasing exports? This business does not make any sense to me.