asked the Minister for Local Government whether he has decided to restore the grant towards therelief of rates on agricultural land and if he will now make a statement which will clarify the position.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Rates on Agricultural Land.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to a question by Deputy Cosgrave on 8th July in regard to the circular of 20th May.
The position apparently is that county rate warrants have gone out in some counties and not in others and there appears to be a general atmosphere of mystification in the country what the ultimate intention is. Will the Minister consider making a statement before the Dáil adjourns for the recess, as to whether the agricultural grant is to be distributed this year on the old basis or, if on the new basis, what that new basis is to be?
The basis on which the agricultural grant is to be distributed has been conveyed to each council and, on that circular, they are expected to prepare their demand notes. It is a matter for the authorities themselves as to when these demand notes will be issued.
So the revised rate is operative?
Will the Minister kindly say are local authorities under a misapprehension in believing that the new basis referred to in the circular mentioned by the Minister would require legislation and that in the absence of legislation they cannot legally collect the rate on the new basis or are they, perhaps, mistaken in that belief?
The position is no different this year from what it has been all the years since the agricultural grant was introduced. The demand notes were prepared at all times by county councils on the basis of a circular issued by my Department and this was later confirmed by legislation introduced into this House. There is no departure from that procedure this year and the local authorities are not expected to believe anything other than what is conveyed to them in the circular of the 20th May.
The Minister will appreciate that in recent years the circular from the Minister has been on precisely the same terms as the circular of the previous year and the legislation has been of a repetitive character. This year it is proposed to make a radical alteration in the method of distributing the grant, involving a substantial additional charge on the rate-payers. In those circumstances, perhaps, the Minister would appreciate the local authorities' difficulty and direct them.
The Deputy is apparently anxious to create more confusion inasmuch as he has made a statement that this year there has been a departure. There have been departures on many previous occasions and on every previous occasion that there was a departure the procedure was exactly the same as the procedure I am following.
In order to avoid any further confusion can the Minister explicitly and clearly state now that the supplementary agricultural grant has to be distributed this year on the basis of the instructions or the information contained in the letter of the 20th May that he refers to?
I do not know if the Deputy is capable of understanding my reply to Deputy Cosgrave, but in that reply I clearly stated that a circular had issued, that the circular was not withdrawn and that the councils were expected to proceed on the basis of what that circular conveyed. If that is not clear to the Deputy, what can I do about it?
Is the Minister not aware that there is a very definite impression abroad, however created, that it was the Minister's intention to issue further instructions or that the legislation he intended to introduce was going to be other than based on his letter of the 20th May?
That is a fact.
I cannot help Deputy Mulcahy or Deputy Dillon attemptingin some mysterious way to assume something that is in my mind. What the local bodies are expected to do is to act upon what is stated in the circulars which I have issued from my Department.
They have no legal power to do it.
They have the same legal power as they always had.
No.
Yes.
Did the circular convey the instruction to the public bodies that the agricultural grant was to be reduced?
The circular conveyed to the local bodies the conditions under which the demand notes would be prepared.
On a reduction.
No. 57.
Why does not he introduce the legislation?
Order! No. 57.
I want to tell Deputy Dillon that I have to consult his lodges and his constituency before I introduce it.
Question No. 57.