asked the Minister for Agriculture if he can now state what the prospects are of importing (1) tractors; (2) reapers, and (3) threshers; and if he is yet in a position to indicate generally how it is proposed to allocate such machinery among the different counties, and among individual applicants.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Importation of Agricultural Machinery.
I am not yet in a position to state what the prospects are of importing tractors and threshing sets. Arrangements have been made for the importation of 350 reapers and binders and it is hoped that these machines will arrive safely in time for the coming harvest. In allocating the machinery due regard will be had to those counties where there is a large area of new tillage land and the need for machinery is greatest. At the same time the needs of each county will be carefully considered. It is proposed to set up a small committee in each county to advise as to the persons to whom the machines should be issued. The county manager, the chairman of the county committee of agriculture and the county committee's chief agricultural officer (or secretary) have been invited to act on the committee.
Will the Minister say whether his Department will accept the recommendations of that committee, or will the recommendations be subject to the Minister's sanction?
Unless there is good reason not to accept them, they will be accepted.
Is the Minister aware that, apart from counties in which there has been an extensive increase in tillage, there is also a shortage of threshing sets in other counties where tillage was carried on extensively heretofore, inasmuch as threshing sets have been purchased and removed to the new tillage counties? Have persons to whom tractors or threshing sets have been allocated the power to sell those tractors or threshing sets?
If the 350 tractors are divided among the 27 county councils, each county council will have approximately 13. Is the Minister aware that, in North Tipperary alone, there are applications for 35, and we may assume that the same applies to other counties? Hope springs eternal in the human breast, but it might be as well to remember that we have not a guarantee at the moment that we will get 350. There can be no doubt that the position is a rather serious one.
Would the Minister say what particular knowledge of the agricultural community, or what qualifications, has the county manager to allocate machinery to the agricultural community and will he say why he put the county manager on the committee?
I am not sure about Deputy O'Donnell's figures—he may be right—that 27 goes into 350 13 times. With regard to Deputy Cogan's question, the needs of every county will be kept in mind. It is recognised that the new tillage areas are probably worse off for machinery than the older tillage areas. With regard to Deputy Hughes' question, the county manager should have a good knowledge of his county and know the needs and so on of the various districts in his county. In any case, I was anxious to have a committee of three and I suppose that, no matter what three I would suggest, Deputy Hughes would probably find fault with them.
Is the Minister aware that in the tillage areas a lot of the machinery is very worn at the moment and he would want to take that into consideration?
That is right.
There has been such an amount of work done in these districts that the machinery is very much worn.
What about the re-sale of these tractors?
Yes, I forgot one of Deputy Cogan's questions. These machines are allocated on the condition that they will not be resold, save under permits, but it is very hard to frame any sort of a legal formula which would prevent them from being resold. They are given to the applicant for cash down and not on a hirage basis. If a person gives cash down, I am afraid you can only get an undertaking that he will not resell.
In the counties where the binders have been in use for many years we are particularly anxious about the supply of parts. We have no guarantee that there will be parts for reapers and binders and mowing machines. The three principal binders used are American ones and they do 90 per cent. of the work. They have not any parts in Cork, Limerick or Dublin. We get the same reply from the ironmongers who arrange for the parts as the Minister has given us. They have no parts except they are left over from last year. Can the Minister say definitely that parts are coming in for these reapers and binders? If not, we are in a sorry position.
We have hopes of getting parts for these binders.