Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 4 Mar 1953

Vol. 136 No. 14

Committee on Finance. - Vote 20—Supplementary Agricultural Grants.

Mr. MacEntee

I move:—

That a supplementary sum not exceeding £200,000 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1953, for the increase of the Grant to Local Authorities in Relief of Rates on Agricultural Land (No. 35 of 1925; No. 28 of 1931; No. 23 of 1939; No. 36 of 1946; etc.).

This Supplementary Estimate arises from the fact that, when the original Estimate is being prepared, it is notpossible to foresee under the arrangements governing the distribution of payment of the grant what the exact sum required is to be until toward the end of the year.

General MacEoin

There is just one point, and I do not know whether it comes under the heading of administration or not. I refer to the grant for employees. As the matter stands at the moment, unless the employee is employed for the full 12 months on the land and the stamping is done, there is no grant payable. On a great number of farms it is not easy to just have the whole 12 months. There are periods of nine months and ten months. The Minister should advert to that. There should be some sliding scale given for the period of employment in respect of people employed part-time on the land.

Mr. MacEntee

The payment of the employment allowance is, of course, governed by statute and the conditions are prescribed in the Act. I should say, however, in respect to what Deputy MacEoin has urged, that the sole purpose of allocating this employment allowance is to ensure that people will be employed all the year round on the land and the purpose would be defeated if we were to pay the employment allowance in respect of a person who was not employed for the full 12 months.

Question put and agreed to.