(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Agriculture if he intends implementing the recommendations of the four year plan for agriculture; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
15.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Plan for Agriculture.
14.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Agriculture if he intends to seek changes in the taxation and social welfare codes as suggested by the working group on the four-year plan to encourage land mobility.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 15 together.
The recommendations in the Report of the Working Group on the Four Year Plan for Agriculture were carefully considered in the context of the preparation of the national plan Building on Reality. A number of their recommendations are already being implemented as a result of the decisions announced in Building on Reality, in particular the measures being taken to improve the efficiency of the advisory services and the proposals currently being drawn up for the new farm investment scheme, that is the structures. The question of additional changes in the taxation and social welfare codes to further encourage land mobility is at present being pursued. Other recommendations of the group have also been of value in the preparation of the national plan.
(Limerick West): Is the Minister aware that the industry itself is of the opinion that the recommendations in the four year plan have been completely shelved by his Department?
That is not the case. A number of these recommendations have already been implemented, and I will be taking on board other suggestions or recommendations as time progresses.
(Limerick West): The Minister mentioned the advisory services and the structures which have not yet been implemented. Surely there were other worth-while recommendations, such as the provision of funding of agricultural development at fixed interest rates?
There is a whole series of recommendations. I implemented some of them in the national plan and I shall be endeavouring to implement others as time progresses. I cannot do it all at the one time.
Would the Minister agree that there is a shortage of funds available to the advisory services? Would he not agree further that there are many farmers who need professional advice at a critical time in Irish agriculture to whom that advice is not available? Could the Minister give us any indication of what is his attitude to land leasing where people in receipt of old age pensions and social welfare assistance are not being encouraged to expedite land mobility in view of the climate obtaining in this area?
In regard to the latter part of the Deputy's question, I said in my reply that it was being looked at at present. In regard to the earlier part of the Deputy's question I should say the advisory services are functioning very satisfactorily, I would say better than ever, due largely to their restructuring. The four year plan makes specific reference to the need to concentrate on that band of farmers who can benefit most from individual attention and we have incorporated that in the national plan.
Would the Minister not accept that in modern times — within the overall European context, in which there is nothing but levies and super-levies — we should not concentrate all our efforts and State resources on a given band of farmers who are already at a stage of maximum development while there are also a large number of farmers of whom at least 50 per cent are not within 75 per cent of development? Does he not think that this is a retrospective type of negative thinking on his part and on the part of the Department?
The Deputy has got it the wrong way around. That is not what I said. I said there is a particular group of farmers, which we believe to be 40,000 to 50,000, who would benefit tremendously from additional attention from the advisory services. We have put that into the plan. I have stated publicly that a number of farmers have reached such a high level of proficiency that they do not need the same degree of attention and that there is also another brand of farmers who cannot assimilate the type of advice and knowledge which is disseminated by the instructors. It may be because of old age, lack of education or something else. We have suggested that the advisory services concentrate on those people who could benefit tremendously from concentrated attention.
Could the Minister clarify what he means by the particular brand of farmers, 40,000 to 50,000, who would benefit from this extra special advice? What particular type of farmer are we talking about?
They are people with the potential to improve output with concentrated advice.
What acreage on average?
It could be anything, depending on whether they are involved in market gardening or beef rearing. It could vary from one acre to 500 acres.
(Limerick West): Is the Minister aware that parts of the social welfare code at present are hostile to land leasing? Would he further agree with me that there are other recommendations of the four year plan which are being considered? Is it all consideration and no implementation by the Minister's Department?
It is being actively pursued. The Minister of State has replied to that matter extensively during the course of Question Time in recent weeks.