asked the Minister for Lands who will have the responsibility of designating areas of Ireland as backward areas in order to qualify for higher rates of EEC assistance in farm structural reform; and when a decision is expected in this matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Structural Reform.
28.
Handicapped agricultural regions will be designated by the Council of Ministers of the EEC on a proposal of the European Commission in accordance with Article 10 (3) of the directive on the encouragement to leave farming and the use of the land thus freed for land structural reform.
The Land Commission has formulated proposals to define the areas of this country which would satisfy the criteria specified and the approved proposals will be submitted to the European Commission.
When does the Minister expect to submit these proposals and will he be able to give any indication to the House of the nature of the proposals prior to their submission?
I already have, in reply to a supplementary by the Deputy last week or the week before.
I do not think the Minister gave very detailed information.
I did not because, while they have been formulated by the Land Commission, they have not yet been considered by the Government. On the basis of the criteria I think we can take an optimistic view about the area of the country which will be classified as handicapped.
Given that the criteria are that the areas should have an above average proportion of people engaged in agriculture compared to the EEC as a whole and a below average GNP per head compared to the EEC as a whole and that the whole of Ireland with the possible exception of Dublin city, meets these criteria, can the Minister not say firmly that the whole of Ireland will get the 65 per cent rate? Is there any reason to doubt that?
I hope the Commission in the first instance will be able to accept that view. That is in effect what I told Deputy Bruton.
After consideration of these proposals by the Government will the Dáil be notified of the contents of the proposals before they are sent to the Commission?
I do not think so.
Would the Minister not agree that, quite apart from the question of criteria, which should not pose any problem, there is an enormous amount of detail in regard to these schemes, and it is important that the Dáil should have a chance of considering them before they are submitted to the Community? Would he consider introducing a White Paper on the scheme or something of that kind for public discussions?
There are so many allied problems, apart from this single issue of handicapped areas, which really have to do with the subvention that would be available to us for structural reform purposes, the major question of structural reform itself and what changes would be involved there.
What I meant, in fact, was the scheme for modernisation of pension schemes; it is these schemes I am talking about. Could they not be dealt with in a White Paper?
Yes. This particular one does not overlap, but the other questions overlap on the functions of the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. I will consult with him when we have considered all the proposals that have come out with regard to modernisation and structural reform.
Question No. 29.
Would the Minister not agree——
We cannot have a debate on the EEC on this. I am calling Question No. 29.
Would the Minister not agree it would greatly strengthen his position if he had a debate in this House prior to the submission of these proposals so that the views of all parties could be seen to be supporting whatever the proposals are.
I considered that, but it would be of doubtful value.
May I ask the Minister——
We cannot have a debate on EEC matters on this question. We will have to get on with questions.
It is understood we will have to get on with questions, but this is Thursday afternoon and these matters primarily arise——
It may be Thursday afternoon, but Standing Orders are the same on Thursday afternoon as they are on any other day.
A Cheann Comhairle, you are being unduly restrictive.
Would the Deputy please sit down? I am calling Question No. 29.
I should like you, a Cheann Comhairle, to treat reasonable supplementary questions in a reasonable way.
Yes, I will do that. We have already had six supplementary questions on this one question. What does the Deputy call "reasonable"?
What I call "reasonable" are questions that are directly pertinent to the matter revealed in the primary answer.
No. Standing Orders have a bearing.
This is an extremely important issue and the Ceann Comhairle sees the Minister trying to deny the right of debate on this and the Ceann Comhairle is now trying to deny Deputies——
Would the Deputy please sit down and allow questions to continue?
——the right to elicit more information.
I am not denying anything. I have allowed six supplementary questions.
You are, a Cheann Comhairle, behaving in a very restrictive way. This is most unsatisfactory.
As far as I am concerned, I do not think Deputy Keating's observation is fair.