asked the Minister for Agriculture the position regarding the future of the amenity horticulture, poultry and farm home and management advisory services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Agricultural Advisory Services.
650.
The decision to phase out the amenity horticulture, poultry and farm home management advisory services of An Chomhairle Oiliúna Talmhaíochta (ACOT) involving a staff of 140 was taken by the previous Government in the context of the 1983 Estimates. The basis of this decision, with which the Government agree in principle, was that these are low-priority services having regard to the need to reduce public sector expenditure including the cost of staffing the public service.
However, the decision will be implemented on the modified basis outlined below which will, I believe, enable ACOT to provide an effective training and advisory service to commercial poultry and horticultural producers as well as to farm families on a range of agricultural issues.
In horticulture, advice has in the past been provided to two broad categories of clients — those involved in both commercial and amenity horticulture. The provision of advice on amenity horticulture will cease with the exception of a consultancy service to local authorities and similar bodies (for which a charge would be made to cover the cost). Horticultural advisers will be assigned responsibility for dealing with a wider range of crops in commercial production, thus reducing the work-load on general agricultural advisers. These arrangements will make available 22 advisers who will operate the new ACOT certificate in farming programme which is being funded through the youth Employment Agency.
The bulk of the marketed production of poultry meat and eggs comes from commercial units. Advice and training will continue to be provided to commercial poultry producers but advice on the keeping of domestic flocks will have to cease. This will result in a reduction in poultry advisory staff numbers from 30 to 18. Courses in poultry husbandry and management hitherto provided at the Munster Institute, Cork, will be operated directly by ACOT at an alternative centre.
The farm home management service, which provided advice, inter alia, on home improvements, heating, energy conservation and nutrition is being discontinued. A new service will be developed having a major re-orientation of work towards socio-economic advice, information on farm inheritance, keeping of farm accounts, skills in certain farmyard husbandry areas (e.g. health and hygiene of livestock) and the promotion of the concept of longterm leasing of land. Staff numbers will be reduced from 88 to 45.
The position regarding the latter two services will be reviewed in two years time.
It will be noted that the impact of the decision, both in relation to the services provided and the numbers of posts to be phased out, is considerably less severe than that which would have resulted from the original decision of the previous Government to phase out the services in question.