asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state what procedure was followed in appointing the present secretaries to the counties Dublin, Donegal, and Cavan Committees of Agriculture, and whether a similar course was followed in the more recent appointments of the secretaries to counties Galway and Tipperary (North Riding) Committees of Agriculture, and if not if he will state the reasons why.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral—Answers. - Appointments by Agricultural Committees.
In the cases of the County Committees of Agriculture for counties Donegal, Dublin, and Cavan, when the post of secretary became vacant the Itinerant Instructor in Agriculture was promoted to the new post of principal instructor and organising secretary.
While, as a general policy, I am in favour of a similar procedure being followed when the post of secretary to a county committee of agriculture becomes vacant, it is not always possible, owing to local circumstances, to insist upon or to agree to a county committee making an appointment to the dual post above-mentioned, and accordingly in the case of counties Galway and Tipperary (North Riding) the post of secretary was continued.
Do I understand the Minister to say that the Minister for Agriculture was as a rule in favour of having the itinerant instructor appointed secretary?
Yes.
Can he say why a similar course was not followed in Galway and North Tipperary?
The Minister indicated that when he said: "It is not always possible owing to local circumstances to insist upon or to agree to a county committee making an appointment to the dual post above mentioned."
Do local circumstances include the fact that an ex-National Army officer applied for the position in North Tipperary?
Does the Deputy suggest that he was debarred from the post?
No, but I suggest that that was what influenced the Minister in departing from the usual procedure and that was the reason that the ex-Army officer got the position.
I understand that the North Tipperary County Committee refused to adopt the suggestion of the Department that the itinerant instructor should be promoted.
The Donegal Committee refused for two years to adopt the suggestion of the Minister but in the end they were beaten. He gave in readily in North Tipperary.
It took two years in Donegal, so, perhaps, the Deputy should put down a question again in two years' time.
The circumstances were reversed in Donegal.