asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries what is the total lime deficiency in land in the Republic up to the latest date for which figures are available.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Lime Deficiency.
39.
The experts in this matter consider it more realistic to express lime deficiency in terms of required yearly application. The latest estimate is that an annual application of 2 million tons would be required to meet demands imposed by present trends in tillage acreage and livestock numbers.
Is the position now that the Minister is ashamed to admit what the real lime deficiency is in the land of Ireland?
No.
Is he now trying to cover up by giving this type of reply to the House?
No.
Is it not a fact that there is roughly an estimated 20 million tons deficiency in lime?
On the contrary, I was attempting to explain to the Deputy the different things that are required for the application of lime to land. In some cases, if the land is required for crops that are acid tolerant, like roots or forestry, it would not be necessary to apply lime at all. In other cases where the PH values might be all right but where there might be a deficiency of calcium or magnesium it might be necessary to apply lime in rather large quantities. In all cases, the first thing one must determine is the purpose for which one proposes to use the land and then to tailor the requirements of lime to that requirement. Thereafter, it is better, I think, to consider yearly requirements of lime rather than to assess lime requirements merely on PH values, which is at best a very inaccurate method of assessing lime requirements.
Question No. 40.
Will the Minister not agree with me, and I am only a layman though I have some experience in this matter, that it is apparent to anybody that the lime deficiency in the land of Ireland is millions of tons on the wrong side and does he not consider it necessary in this day and age, when we are talking about going into Europe to have something done, to have this deficiency corrected as a matter of extreme urgency?
Question No. 40. The Deputy may not make a speech on every question.
With all due respect to you, a Cheann Comhairle, I think this is very unfair. I have questions down and I cannot help that. This is very important and I feel the Minister should be allowed to reply. If you do not appreciate the importance of lime on the land of Ireland I do.
What does the Deputy want to know?
We must bear in mind that somebody who was here before the Minister did not have the facilities, the lime for the farmers. I want to know from the Minister now, a Cheann Comhairle, or I shall, with your permission, raise the matter on the Adjournment.
As Deputy O'Hara says, Sir, this is a very large question. One of the very important considerations in the matter of the determination of lime requirements is land use. Let us take, for instance, the intensive use of nitrogen for the production of grass meal or silage, where there is a heavy draw of minerals form land in use in that way, it is obvious that the calcium requirement will be as heavy as phosphate or potash requirements will be also. If that land is in use for ordinary pasture, especially with adult livestock, the draw of calcium will be rather low and, consequently, the necessity to apply large quantities of lime will be low as well. Similarly, if one is using the same land for young livestock with developing bone structure the lime requirements will be somewhat higher. I could go on like this for half an hour but the main point I want to demonstrate is that calcium is required as a soil nutrient. it is required as mean of cancelling soil acidity.
It is not a cure-all.
It has at least two purposes. It also affects crumb structure in soil. You must determine all these things. Before you have got all these things there must be a soil survey of the area where you are working. It is freely conceded that there are large areas of land where the PH values are wrong and therefore you should apply calcium in some alkaline form.
Now you know.
If that is the point the Deputy is trying to make he is right but, on the other hand, facilities and great assistance are provided by the Department to the farming community to provide lime where it is required. Any time the Deputy wants to talk to me about lime in the future he should bring it up on the Estimate and I will really give him the works.
It is a long time since we had the bicycle wheel and the six inch nail.
It is not nails now but daggers and tomahawks.
Does the Minister consider it worth while, particularly in relation to hill land where it is obvious to anybody——
It all depends on what the hill is made of. If it is granite there will not be any calcium.
The Minister has not taken the trouble to find out. There is a deficiency in my area.
There are also facilities for soil tests. I am sure Deputy O'Hara knows that. If Deputy O'Hara does not know I will tell him what to do.
I know about it. I supplied lime to the Department and I am still authorised to do so.
(Interruptions.)
I did not get a subsidy. I worked it off my own bat and no thanks to the State.
The remaining Questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply to Question No. 2 on today's Order Paper, and to similar questions yesterday and last week. I should like to raise the subject matter of that question on the adjournment.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.