asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is prepared to carry out an experiment in a suitable area whereby farmers employing paid labour for land improvement schemes would be recouped 70 per cent. to 80 per cent. of the labour cost, the scheme to be confined to classes of farmers genuinely unable to afford the payment of supplementary wages for such work.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Improvement Experiment.
In a scheme of land improvement, such as is suggested by the Deputy, it would be necessary to identify farmers genuinely unable to afford the payment of supplementary wages for improvement work. Inquiry into each individual's means to elicit that information would be objectionable both from the farmers' point of view and from mine.
Under the Farm Improvements Scheme, grants are equivalent to 50 per cent. of the estimated labour cost of approved works and there are considerably more applications than can be accommodated with the funds available.
This indicates that the present rate of grant is sufficiently attractive, and, in these circumstances, I am not prepared to initiate an experimental scheme of the nature suggested.