asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that ACOT agricultural county committees are unable to hold monthly meetings due to lack of finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Committee Meetings.
8.
The reduction in State grants to county committees from £290,000 in 1982 to £150,000 this year was decided on by the previous Government in the context of the Estimates for 1983 and endorsed by the present Government. It is a matter for the committees themselves to decide how best to operate within the limits of the available funds.
Naturally I am disappointed at the Minister's reply. In case he is not aware, the area concerned is in South Tipperary. Due to the local authority not paying their contribution to the committees — he might look into that area — the local authority are starving the ACOT committee. It is very serious because the farmers cannot even discuss their problems and highlight them to the Minister. It is a sad day for this country and for agriculture——
A question.
I plead with the Minister to do more——
The Deputy will plead by way of question and then this will be more tolerable.
I am posing a question: will the Minister look into the problem in greater depth? Will he agree with me that we are at a very low ebb when farmers cannot even meet to discuss their problems which are national problems? The juggling of figures in Estimates is very small consolation to farmers. Whether outgoing or incoming a Government are there to govern, not to play around with figures or talk about bringing in Estimates——
Later in the week the Deputy will have an opportunity of speaking on the subject.
There is no such thing as playing around with figures. We just cut. We reduced the amount from £290,000 to £150,000. It was portion of a whole range of reductions and measures that were taken in the 1983 Estimates. I regret that it has resulted in some committees having difficulties in holding meetings, but some committees have arranged their meetings in such a manner that they can go through the year on the existing Estimate. For instance three counties, Donegal, Mayo and Monaghan, are not having monthly meetings, they are having meetings every two months and in that way overcoming the financial difficulty involved. I have asked the Minister for the Environment if he will follow up the matter of payments to the county committees of agriculture because that is really within his jurisdiction. I know the committees are suffering because of failure to meet commitments in that regard.
The Minister has answered my question and I am glad of that. That is one of the problems of ACOT and the Minister probably is aware that that organisation have been criticised very much. Their difficulty is due partly to lack of funds. They are a good organisation and I would like to make the point——
Do not try to make points. I think the Deputy is trying to establish a record on these questions.
If we had an input from county council funds into ACOT we would have a fine advisory service in Cork.
The question of the holding of committee of agriculture meetings throughout the country——
Ask a question.
——is of serious concern——
I must put it this way. If the Deputies are determined to drag on these question until after Christmas they must do it by way of question, not by speeches.
I will not hold up Question Time——
You will have to ask a question.
Will the Minister consider increasing the amounts to allow the required number of meetings to be held by the various committees in the year? Before he replies, in the Border counties a problem exists where in recent times we have had a movement towards a greater exchange of views with corresponding bodies on the Northern side where various committees of agriculture in Louth, Monaghan, Donegal and Cavan——
There will be an Adjournment Debate in which the Deputy can speak for an hour.
This is very important.
It may be but the Deputy is making a speech nevertheless.
Would the Minister make funds available for the provision of refreshments when we bring visitors to our meetings in the various Border counties?
I am sorry, but the answer is "no".
That does not arise out of this question. The Deputy is moving into the entertainment field which has nothing to do with the question. I am calling Question No. 9.
(Interruptions.)
Committee members in our county had to put their hands in their own pockets to finance the cost of refreshments.
I do not intend to allocate any additional funds. One reason for this country's financial problems is the fact that we have been putting forward Supplementary Estimates year after year and I am not going to put forward any Supplementary Estimates on this.
Let us pass on. We have spent a great deal of time on this question.
Mine is a brief question.
We dealt with the first two questions, which were very important, in a very satisfactory manner in about seven minutes and we have been fooling around with these few questions for nearly three-quarters of an hour.
Would the Minister agree that with the number of committees we have, some of them have not been very successful but that the county committee system has been successful? Will he for God's sake put a few bob into the funds and take advantage of the best farming brains in the country to give his Department some direction?
The Minister has dealt with that several times. It is repetition and I will not allow it.
Will he give the farmers a say in the matter?
Question No. 9.
Those Estimates were prepared last November. I merely said the figure was available last November and people should have planned accordingly.
The Minister will obey the Chair.