asked the Minister for Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to a report of a speech made by the Tánaiste on the 23rd February to the Institute of Certified and Corporate Accountants regarding our economic position in which he is reported to have said that expanding production in agriculture is the key to the whole business; that if we cannot get that result by voluntary effort this year then in the following year we will be forced to seek a solution of our problems by a more difficult road; and whether he will state if farmers are to understand from this that, unless they produce the type and quantity of goods that the Government feel should be produced, they can expect a reversion to the policy announced by the then Minister for Agriculture on 19th June, 1947 (Official Debates, Volume 106, columns 2238-2260), or if not what is to be understood from the statement quoted.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Production—Minister's Statement.
I have seen the report to which the Deputy refers, and I think the Tánaiste's statement is self-explanatory and does not need any elucidation in view of what every intelligent person knows to be our present general economic position. We can help enormously to improve that position by increased agricultural production sufficient to provide for ourselves and to maintain a good level of agricultural exports; otherwise any road that we have to face will be a difficult road.