asked the Minister for Agriculture why he will not allow Wexford County Committee of Agriculture to erect an agricultural education centre in New Ross, County Wexford.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - New Ross Agricultural Education Centre.
19.
I am not prepared to approve the erection of such a centre at New Ross in the light of the present financial position of the County Wexford Committee of Agriculture. I should add that there are already agricultural training centres at Mullinavat, 11 miles from New Ross, and Enniscorthy, 21 miles away, while training facilities are also available at Ramsgrange Rural Home Economics College, 14 miles from New Ross.
That is a most misleading and unfair answer. The Minister is well aware of the question as far as Ramsgrange is concerned, that it is not suitable for this type of training. Is the Minister aware that the County Wexford County Committee of Agriculture have a programme of education for farmers under the appropriate EEC directive and that the Minister is depriving the entire New Ross area as a result of his not allowing this educational centre to be built?
I do not accept what Deputy D'Arcy contends, that people in the New Ross area are being deprived of any facility to which they are entitled. But I would consider it a serious responsibility of mine to see that there was no undue proliferation of training centres. There are several training centres quite near the town of New Ross. It is the opinion of my Department that the provision of a new centre in New Ross, in present circumstances, would be unwarranted.
Is the Minister further aware that had he not been made Minister for Agriculture probably by now that centre would have been built were it not for the fact that Wexford were unable to clear the deeds with the GAA at the time. We built the ones in Gorey, Enniscorthy and Wexford. The Minister is very unfair in saying that there are ample buildings available for this type of education.
Question No. 20.
Might I further ask the Minister——
The Deputy has not asked a question.
I will ask one now. What mileage does the Minister consider sufficient for a training centre within a farming area?
I do not think that is a serious question, a Cheann Comhairle.
I asked the Minister for an answer.
If the Deputy will allow me answer—I do not believe it is possible or even useful to try to quantify the precise number of miles within which a person might avail of training facilities such as those about which Deputy D'Arcy is talking. I think it is a nonsensical question myself.
I take it the Minister intends to deprive that area of that educational centre?
I want to make it crystal clear to Deputy D'Arcy and reiterate that it is not my intention at present to provide that facility.
Therefore, the Minister intends to deprive the people of that centre?
(Interruptions.)
Order. Question No. 20.