asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if in view of the fall in the value of money he will increase the value of mare nominations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mare Nominations.
80.
I do not envisage an increase at present. The increase in the numbers of nominations in recent years should, on the average, more than offset the change in the value of money.
Would the Minister not agree that there has been a drop in the number of small farmers who are keeping breeding mares and that the best way to encourage them is with a little financial incentive? Would he not consider, from that point of view, increasing the value of the nominations?
I do not understand what the Deputy means. The stallion owners probably have gained in income because of the greatly increased number of nominations that have been given in recent years.
What I have in mind in the question is to increase the number of small farmers who would keep mares.
There would appear to be an increase since 1968 from 3,242 to 7,800 in the number of nominations. This seems to indicate a marked increase in the breeding of horses.
I suggest that the increase is not by small farmers. The increase is by the larger breeders. The small farmers are inhibited from increasing.
I do not know what the Deputy bases his assertion on that the increase arises from large farmers rather than small farmers. I would have thought that the contrary was the case. It probably varies a bit, depending on the part of the country we are talking about. I think in general the typical breeder is the man who keeps one mare.