Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 19 Feb 1930

Vol. 33 No. 4

In Committee on Finance. - Vote No. 52—Agriculture.

Professor O'Sullivan

I move:

Go ndeontar suim bhreise ná raghaidh thar £46,300 chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1930, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí Oifig an Aire Talmhaíochta agus seirbhísí áirithe atá fe riara hOifige sin, maraon le hIldeontaisí i gCabhair.

That a supplementary sum not exceeding £46,300 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1930, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Agriculture and of certain services administered by that Office, including sundry Grants-in-Aid.

Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Hogan)

This Estimate speaks for itself. The original Estimate for the year 1929-30 was £35,000, for the purpose of buying creameries in Tipperary, Cork and Kerry. I am glad to say that we have succeeded in purchasing certain creameries, notably the Kerry creameries, much more quickly than I had anticipated at the beginning of the year. We have purchased most of the Kerry creameries, and, with the exception of a few creameries in Cork and Kerry, we are in a position to transfer all the creameries in the country to the co-operative societies. The original Estimate was £35,000; the revised Estimate is £95,000.

Dr. Ryan

We are under a disadvantage, as we did not get this Estimate until two hours ago. We had no idea what it was all about until the Minister stood up. I do not know if his explanation places us in a much more favourable position. What I should like to know, however, is, are we finished buying creameries now?

Mr. Hogan

No. The notice undoubtedly with regard to the Estimate was a bit short as it was only circulated this morning, but this subject is hardly new. It has been the policy of the Department, approved of by the House on more than one occasion, to purchase all the proprietory creameries and transfer them to the co-operatives. That process will not stop until we have purchased all the creameries in the country. The outstanding ones were the Kerry creameries. It was considered that it would be difficult to buy them for various reasons, but we have met with somewhat more success than I anticipated at the beginning of the year and we have purchased practically all of them and made arrangements to transfer them. There are just a few left in Kerry, Cork and Waterford to be purchased and transferred, but I should say that 95 per cent. of the creameries are now purchased.

Mr. Gorey

And two in Kilkenny.

Mr. Hogan

There may be one or two odd creameries here and there.

Mr. Fahy

Are we to conclude that the Minister has made more rapid progress than he hoped for when the Estimate was before us? It is not that he has paid a higher price than was estimated?

Mr. Hogan

No. I think they are worth the money we paid for them. Of course time will tell that.

Dr. Ryan

It is true that this matter was before the House previously.

Mr. Hogan

On half-a-dozen occasions.

Dr. Ryan

Perhaps on half-a-dozen occasions and that it was agreed by the House that it was a proper policy to adopt. But if we had got a little notice we might have been in a position to find fault with certain things that occurred in the purchases of the creameries. As the notice, however, is short, we shall have to let it go through and await our opportunity until next June.

Mr. Hogan

Yes, on the Estimates. I hope it will be before June.

An Ceann Comhairle

It will be on the main Estimate?

Mr. Hogan

I think so.

An Ceann Comhairle

There will be a sub-head on the Vote.

Mr. Hogan

I think there will.

Question put and agreed to.