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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Feb 1958

Vol. 165 No. 5

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cow Byre Grants.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state (a) why the amount of the grant available per cow in respect of the construction of cow byres has been reduced, particularly having regard to the importance of the bovine tuberculosis eradication scheme, and (b) the amount of such grants paid since the scheme for the payment of a double grant was commenced.

Because I find myself with a commitment of £3,000,000 in respect of applications for these double byre grants which cannot be disposed of for a considerable time I cannot accept further commitments. I have, however, decided that the grant payable for repairs to byres will in future be the full approved estimated labour cost of repairs subject to a maximum equivalent to three-fifths of the appropriate grant for a new byre. This is double the rate of grant for repairs payable up to now.

A sum of £645,100 has been paid up to 31st January, 1958, in respect of double grants.

Having regard to the statement made by the Minister that he is considering resigning, is he in a position to tell the House when he will reach a favourable decision and resign?

Bearing in mind the supreme importance of an expeditious realisation of the tuberculosis eradication scheme in cattle, would the Minister not reconsider his decision, especially as the liability in respect of these double byre grants does not come in course of payment until the herd has attained an attested status? Though his present liability may appear very large, as it does not come in course of payment until each new herd has attained attested status, the probability of the charge falling on any one year is remote in the extreme.

That is a supplementary question on which I could make a very long speech but I do not propose to do so. In fact, it is not a decision made by me at all because my very good friend and former Minister, Deputy James Dillon, in January, 1957, decided that the double byre grant should be abandoned. He reported his finding to the then Minister for Finance who approved of his decision. I am not blaming my predecessor for this nor am I disputing the wisdom of his decision. Certainly, I do not blame him, for not announcing in January, 1957, that he had arrived at this decision.

I assure the Minister he is mistaken in that belief. It is perfectly true that I changed the basis of the double byre grant to a new basis which required the farmer to attain an attested status for his herd in order to qualify for it. I did that and I announced it in this House. That is the only decision I took. I think the Minister will agree that the farmer has no other inducement at all, beyond the public good——

This is developing into an argument or a debate.

This is a supplementary question I am asking the Minister. Would he reconsider his decision? Will he not agree with me that the only inducement the farmer has, apart from the service of the public good, is the possibility of qualifying for the double byre grant? In the light of that, would he not reconsider the decision?

The Deputy can be assured that I am not availing of this opportunity either to misrepresent or to distort any decision made by him, nor am I attempting, nor will I attempt outside, to shelter behind the fact that in January, 1957, he made such a decision, according to my records. The alteration to which he refers now was made in November, 1956, but I am referring to a decision made in January, 1957, and reported as being made by him to the Minister for Finance at the time, who approved of that decision. But, as I say, do not think that I will shelter behind that, because I believe that having regard to the circumstances the decision was a very wise one.

There was no such decision.

Up to what date is the double byre grant being paid?

The 8th of February, the 8th of this month.

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