asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that turf producers in South Kerry find the Bord na Móna marketing organisation as at present constituted unsatisfactory; and, if so, if he will take steps to set up an independent marketing organisation representative solely of hand-won turf producers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hand-won Turf.
Mr. Flynn
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce (a) if he is aware of the importance of the hand-won turf industry in South Kerry and elsewhere and of the dissatisfaction of producers with the Government's policy towards hand-won turf and its commercial marketing; (b) if he is also aware that the Government's promise of a ready and remunerative market for last year's turf is not being implemented in many turf-producing areas, and (c) whether, in view of these facts and other circumstances which go to show that the producers have lost confidence in Bord na Móna's marketing organisation as at present constituted, he will take early steps to set up an independent marketing organisation representative solely of the hand-won turf producers and fuel merchants and invoke Section 14 of the Turf (Use and Development) Act, 1936, whereby fuel merchants may be legally obliged to sell the appropriate quantity of turf against coal.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware of the public dissatisfaction in regard to the Government's policy towards hand-won turf production and the commercial marketing of hand-won turf, and whether he is aware that the Government's promise of a ready and remunerative market for last year's peat is not being implemented in many turf-producing areas; and, if so, if he will take steps to set up an independent marketing organisation representing the hand-won turf producers and fuel merchants and invoke Section 14 of the Turf (Use and Development) Act, 1936, whereby fuel merchants may be legally obliged to sell appropriate quantities of turf against coal.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 4, 5 and 6 together.
The Government's appreciation of the importance of the hand-won turf industry is evidenced by the fact that the provision in this year's Estimates for the fostering of the industry is greater than that made in last year's Estimates, and I have no reason to believe that producers generally are dissatisfied with the Government's policy in relation to the industry.
Neither is there any evidence of dissatisfaction on the part of producers generally with the marketing section of Bord na Móna. On the contrary, the National Turf Producers' Association has paid public tribute to the satisfactory service rendered by the section in connection with the disposal of turf privately produced during the past year. In the circumstances I do not propose to establish an alternative organisation. If, however, some producers and fuel merchants feel that an independent organisation would better serve their particular interests, the establishment of such an organisation is a matter for themselves. In this connection I should like to emphasise that the function of Bord na Móna's marketing section is to assist producers to find markets rather than to do the actual marketing, which is the producers' own responsibility.
I am aware of the difficulties of the position in South Kerry, where for almost three months of the period of peak winter demand sales were limited owing to the wet condition of the turf in many districts. Despite this more than 85 per cent. of the area's production has already been sold and every possible assistance will continue to be given to the producers to find markets for any saleable turf left on hands.
I see no necessity at present to implement Section 14 of the Turf (Use and Development) Act of 1936.