asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that some of the Red Marvel wheat seed (supplied under the seed wheat scheme referred to in sub-head O 9 of the 1936-37 Supplementary Agricultural Estimate) failed to ripen and involved the farmers who sowed it in heavy losses, and whether he will take steps to compensate those farmers for their losses.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Failure of Wheat Seed.
I am not aware that any of the wheat seed referred to in the first part of the Deputy's question failed to ripen or in volved the farmers who sowed it in any loss.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, does he seriously tell me that he has heard of no case, during the recent harvest, in which Red Marvel wheat failed to mature?
That is another question.
On the contrary. My question, Sir, is as follows: "To ask the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that some of the Red Marvel wheat seed (supplied under the seed wheat scheme referred to in sub-head O 9 of the 1936-7 Supplementary Agricultural Estimate), failed to ripen and involved the farmers who sowed it in heavy losses, and whether he will take steps to compensate those farmers for their losses." Does the Minister seriously tell me that he has heard of no such occasion arising?
None as referred to under sub-head O 9.
Is he not aware, or does he not recollect, that, when he was introducing the Supplementary Estimate O 9 referred to, he said that there was no Red Marvel wheat seed available and that he was taking steps to get all that he could get of it from the wheat merchants in Ireland so as to have it grown——
I do not know that I said that.
——and that certain samples failed to mature? He knows that also?
No.
Can the Minister connect those two facts?
But that is just the point.
Does the Minister deny that any of the samples supplied under his seed wheat scheme failed to mature?
I have not heard of any cases.
Very well. If I can show the Minister cases in which samples failed to mature, will he undertake to compensate the farmers concerned for the losses they have sustained as a result of such failure?
I am not bound to compensate them.
Will the Minister undertake to take steps to compensate these farmers?
No, because I am not bound to do so. However, I should like the Deputy to supply any information he may have of such cases.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, is it not true that he spent £8,000 on advertising last year in order to encourage the people to sow this Red Marvel wheat?
That is a separate question.
We advocated the sowing of wheat, but we never said Red Marvel wheat.
You fooled the farmers into the growing of this wheat——
We advocated the growing of wheat.
——and now, when you have fooled the farmers you will not compensate them for the losses they have sustained as a result of that policy.