asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will continue to pay grants from his Department to Laois County Committee of Agriculture in view of the fact that the committee has no member on it who resides in the Luggacurreen Electoral Area in apparent contravention of Rule 4 of the Second Schedule to the Agriculture Act, 1931.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Laois Agricultural Committee.
23.
The position in this matter is under examination.
Did I hear the Parliamentary Secretary say that the matter is under consideration?
Yes.
Could I ask the Parliamentary Secretary if he is aware that the acting county manager in Laois notified the CAO yesterday morning that he should call off the meeting of this county committee of agriculture, and may I also ask the Parliamentary Secretary why the matter should be under investigation in view of the fact that the county committee is clearly in breach of Rule 4 of the Second Schedule of the Agriculture Act, 1931?
Why therefore should it be necessary to have an investigation?
The committee of agriculture meeting arranged for County Laois was called off yesterday and adjourned for a fortnight. In the meantime the county legal advisers, I am sure, will see to the question of determining whether these laws were transgressed in regard to appointing a member on the committee of agriculture from a particular electoral area within County Laois. As the Deputy indicated, the rule is: "The members of a committee of agriculture shall include in respect of each county electoral area in the county at least one person who is resident in such county area." I am assuming this matter will be settled in County Laois, and I hope it will.
I share that hope, but in view of what the Parliamentary Secretary says, that the county committee meeting yesterday was adjourned for two weeks——
No, "cancelled" would be a better word.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary then say categorically that this committee is illegally constituted? Does he confirm that?
As I indicated in my reply, the matter is under examination. This is the first time that such a question came into the Department, and it is a matter which requires the attention of our legal people here.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the National Coalition chairman of the Laois County Council was made aware before the decision was made that he was constituting an illegal committee?
I have no information about that.
Read the local papers.