I move:—
That it is the opinion of the Dáil that the Agricultural Grant should be applicable only to the relief of rates on holdings which have a minimum of fifteen per cent. of the arable land of the holding under tillage, and that the amounts so retained be devoted to increasing the grants to holdings complying with the regulations.
This motion has been on the Order Paper for a very long period. I put it down originally in view of the very unfair rating valuation which presses very heavily on the tillage farmer as compared with the grass farmer. When land was valued under Griffiths' valuation a very high valuation was put on tillage land. On the 21st June, 1928, Deputy Allen asked the Minister for Finance whether he intended having a re-valuation of agricultural land or not, and the Minister said:—
"I am aware that a case could be made for the revision of the valuation of many holdings, some of which have decreased in value owing to the decline of tillage and the unsuitability of the land for grazing purposes, and some of which, on the other hand, have been enhanced in value owing to reclamation, drainage and other improvements. I could not at the present time undertake to initiate legislative proposals for a general valuation, which would be a very costly operation, but consideration will be given to the matter as soon as circumstances permit."
In that reply, the Minister himself admitted that these people are being unfairly treated, that the tillage farmers have a very unfair valuation and have to pay very high rates in consequence. At present, the Agricultural Grant is paid in respect of all occupiers of agricultural land, whether they till or not. The rancher, with his thousand acres and his bullocks, gets the same benefit from the Agricultural Grant as a small farmer who tills his land and employs labour. I think the House will admit that that is a very unfair proposition. It is unfair, not alone to the tillage farmer who gives employment, but to the nation as a whole. The population of the country has steadily gone down the decline marching side by side with the decline in tillage.
It was my intention when I put this motion on the Order Paper to press the matter and to endeavour to get the House to agree with me that a change in this very unfair state of affairs was required by providing that the individual who does not do his duty by the nation, the individual who does not till a certain proportion of his holding and give a certain amount of employment, should not get the benefit of the Agricultural Grant. But there are two Commissions coming. One of them is the De-rating Commission, which, I understand, is about to be set up, which will, I take it, go into this matter fully, and the decisions of which when they come before the House, will give us an opportunity of putting forward our views, and there is the Commission dealing with a grain-growing scheme. I think the fact that these two Commissions are about to sit renders this motion unnecessary, at any rate at present, and I beg the leave of the House to withdraw it.