Vol. 191 No. 14
asked the Taoiseach if relative to his recent speech to a Macra na Feirme gathering at Wexford he will state how it is proposed within the ambit of the Common Market to reconcile the principle that energetic, hardworking farmers are entitled to be able to earn standards of living comparable to those of urban populations with the stated determination to preserve the family character of Irish farms.
3.
asked the Taoiseach if relative to his recent speech to a Macra na Feirme gathering at Wexford he will state how it is proposed to implement the principle that the vocational distribution of available labour and the more intense industrialisation of rural areas would allow the gradual settlement of the problems raised by marginal farms which do not show an economic return.
With your permission, Sir, I propose to take Questions Numbers 2 and 3 together.
The establishment of a level of income for farmers comparable to what they would receive in other sectors of the economy, the preservation of the family character of farms within the European Economic Community and the gradual settlement of the problems raised by marginal farms which do not show an economic return are included in the directive principles for an agricultural policy for the Community, which were agreed upon at the Stresa Conference in July, 1958. The implementation of the various principles is to be effected through the Common Agricultural Policy. Proposals for this policy have been drawn up by the EEC Commission and are at present being examined by the Council of the Community.
I might add that the proposals which stress the importance of family farms do not involve any conflict such as is implied by the Deputy.
In the agricultural policy outlined in the Rome Treaty, is it not visualised that, while preserving the character of the family farm, there will be fewer of them? That is an important aspect of the policy.
I did not hear what the Deputy asked.
The Taoiseach needs an amplifier. We cannot hear the Taoiseach and the Taoiseach cannot hear us.
The provisions of the Rome Treaty, while preserving the family character of farms, does not prohibit a smaller number of farms. Is it not a fact that it is possible we may have fewer farms in the country? That is the likely interpretation.
I said one of the directive principles of agricultural policy agreed at the Stresa Conference related to the desirability of preserving and making economic the family farm. If I understand the Deputy's point, he is correct in assuming that does not mean there will not be throughout Europe many farms of a much larger size.
Is it not a fact that the majority of the holdings in this country would come under the heading of marginal farms within the terms of the EEC set-up and is it not a fact that the French Government are already making arrangements to compensate and buy out the small farmers in France? Does the Taoiseach not see the danger involved to small farmers unless he is in a position to protect them and keep a greater number of farmers on the land?
That is a very general question.
We will protect them all right. The Deputy need not worry.
The Minister for Agriculture threatened to put barbed wire around the farms. Remember all his inspectors.
I never suspected the revival of that would come from such a source.
Oh, he is sensitive. Remember the bulldozers and the inspectors.
Order.
Not to speak of the Garda Síochána.
Order.
Would the Taoiseach be good enough to answer the subject matter of question No. 3, which refers to the industrialisation of rural areas, in view of his recent speech at Wexford?
I think the important thing to note is that the countries of the European Economic Community, when they met to determine the directive principles which should govern their common agricultural policy, reached conclusions which are in complete conformity with the national policy we have been pursuing here.
The depopulation of rural Ireland.
Order.
Is it not a fact that we will have little or no say as to where these industries will be sited?
Nonsense.
How can the Taoiseach say it is in accordance with national policy?
Would the Taoiseach reconcile that with his statement the other day that there will be no agricultural policy in the Common Market in the next ten years?
What I said was that directive principles to govern the common agricultural policy have been agreed. Proposals have been prepared to implement this policy. They have been supplied to the Deputies and they have an opportunity, therefore, of knowing the type of plan contemplated. That plan has not yet been accepted by the Community, and the plan itself does not contemplate bringing a common agricultural market into operation for a minimum of six years.
Is the Taoiseach then revising his figure of ten years?
I am not. I think it is fairly accurate.
May I point out I have not had an answer to my question on the industrialisation of rural areas?
That is a matter of national policy. We will not ask anybody's consent to proceed with a policy of that kind.
We will have no control over policy of that kind.
We will, of course, have full control.
We will have none under the Rome Treaty as it stands at present. We will have the Lord Lieutenant back again in the Park.
The Deputy takes himself a bit too seriously.
