andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Agriculture whether a report on the economy of the small farms in Ireland has been prepared by Dr. Tinley; and, if so, whether it is proposed to make copies of the report available to members.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Report on Economy of Small Farms.
7.
I have no function in regard to Professor Tinley's work here nor have I any information about it beyond what he himself gave in a recent letter to one of the daily newspapers.
Would the Minister not consider that the report of the investigation undertaken by such a prominent professor who has no axe to grind here would be of benefit to the Government in assessing the problems facing the small farmers of the West of Ireland if our application for entry into the European Economic Community is successful?
All I know is what the professor said in a letter which appeared in the Irish Times on 17th May.
Would the Minister be prepared to ask Professor Tinley for his report if such report is available?
Professor Tinley's work here had nothing to do with my Department. In fact we had no contact with him of any kind except to grant him facilities which we would grant to any stranger coming here on an investigation of that kind.
In the light of the fact that the report states that the small farmers are likely to go to the wall will the Minister ask for a more detailed statement from that professor and will he ask that the result of his investigations be made available to the Government?
On 17th May, the Irish Times carried a letter from Professor Tinley stating that he did not submit to the Irish Government any report on his assessment of Irish agriculture and that he was not responsible for the statement that appeared in The Observer. The letter went on:
I wish to emphasise also that I make no pretensions to being an expert on the Common Market nor have I prepared any report on this subject. Offhand, I would venture the opinion that entry by Ireland into the Common Market would be of considerable benefit to Irish Agriculture.
That is what Professor Tinley had to say about all this comment.
Would the Minister say whether he wishes to read the report?
I never saw it.
Do you propose to get it?
The man himself said he never made any report.