I should like to ask a question arising from section 1. I note that subsection (2) refers to the council of a county. The area in which I live, Dún Laoghaire, has a county borough council and as I understand it up to two years ago the county borough council were able to benefit from Dublin County Council. They were able to benefit from the work of the Dublin County Committee of Agriculture. I may say in passing that I was amazed by the progressive approach of Senators McDonald and Malone, because Fine Gael in practice when in power in Dún Laoghaire Borough Corporation took the borough out of this arrangement with the Dublin County Committee of Agriculture and as a result in Dún Laoghaire Borough at the moment the local owners of market gardens and, indeed, private residences with substantial gardens can no longer avail of the services of the horticultural inspector which they had up to two years ago. I wonder if it is due to legislation or is it as I think has been the case a mean, narrowminded decision by the corporation to opt out of the services of Dublin County Council? Many people in the area are saddened that they no longer have the valuable services of a horticultural inspector. I should like to know if the Minister could explain what the situation is here.
Agriculture (Amendment) Bill, 1970: Committee and Final Stages.
I thought the Senator was against Senator Malone and myself.
The situation is quite clear in that never was such a service provided directly as between the county committee of agriculture and the Borough of Dún Laoghaire. It was merely an arrangement made by the vocational committee in the Dublin borough area with a county committee of agriculture for the use of a horticultural instructor or other staff. That fell through a couple of years ago. I am not sure whether it was for financial reasons or otherwise. It was really done by the vocational committee utilising the personnel of the committee of agriculture. It was an arrangement between the two bodies. This was how it came about. It has fallen through by mutual consent.
It was a tragic loss to the borough.
It was agreed it was not Senator Malone or myself who did it.
I am sorry Senator Belton is not here as he might have something to say on it.