The Minister has not convinced me that he has made a good case for the 50 per cent. The Minister stated in his Second Reading Speech:
While I am suggesting the rural organisation and the co-operative movement as a likely source of suitable members for committees of agriculture, I have not found it practicable to provide in this Bill for giving them direct representation, although I have given a great deal of thought to the matter. In view of the large number of rural organisations in the country, the varying strength of these organisations from one county to another and the varying number of members on individual committees, I do not think that a statutory formula could be worked out which could be applied equitably to all counties.
The next is the kernel of the point:
I hope, however, that county councils will keep the rural organisation and their co-operative movements in mind when choosing members for committees and that this broadening of membership will lead to a more general acceptance of the agricultural advisory services throughout the country.
I am sure the Minister, and anybody who is a member of a local authority or who has past experience of them, will agree that that is only wishful thinking on the part of the Minister. While I agree it is most desirable, I feel when it is not written into this legislation, it will not be applied in any of the local authorities, that I have knowledge of anyway.
First of all, after the wind of the local election has died down and the elected representatives assemble to elect a chairman and a vice-chairman for the ensuing five years what happens? When we come to the county committee of agriculture we divide up the ten places among the 29 county councillors and then we have to take in 10 from outside. Can anybody see any of the Parties, when the ten external seats on that committee are allocated, maybe to the various political Parties that may compose the county council, the NFA, Muintir na Tíre or any other of the rural organisations, getting consideration from the members of that particular county council?
All of us will have the hard luck story and a very good farmer who just got tipped for the last seat and we will have to put him on to the county committee of agriculture. That is how the external members of the county committees of agriculture will be taken in. We are all human and we all do that. We want to help those who helped us. I do not want to appear critical of any of the rural organisations, who are doing excellent work, but members of rural organisations have been very critical of the local authorities and their members. We would not be human if we were to say it is all well meant. We are not likely to say that we will take in five of those external members from the NFA, and another three from Muintir na Tíre. That is not going to happen. I am sure nobody knows that better than the Minister.
I feel the Minister, with all due respect to him—I am not saying this to be critical of the Minister—will not improve the composition of any of our committees of agriculture by this. I would again appeal to him—I have already asked him to give 75 per cent —to compromise somewhere between his 50 per cent and my 75 per cent. If we do not do this we cannot hope to get a better type of member who has the public spirit to stand for election, but one who wishes to sit on the sideline and criticise. He can come into the county committee of agriculture and criticise there. I do not think we will be improving the composition of our county councils and for that reason I oppose section 2. I would ask the Minister to compromise on a 66? per cent, that is a ? figure.