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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 15 Nov 1961

Vol. 192 No. 2

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wheat Growers' Losses.

88.

asked the Minister for Agriculture what steps the Government propose taking to assist farmers whose wheat crop was devastated by the storms and inclement weather.

89.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware of the fact that farmers in County Wexford are in a serious financial position owing to heavy losses incurred by damage to the wheat from bad weather conditions; and if he has any plans to ameliorate their financial position.

90.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that small farmers whose wheat proved unmillable because of weather conditions have lost the major part of their income because of this disaster; and if the Government intends to take any action to alleviate the situation.

91.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will take immediate steps to offset the losses incurred by many wheat-growers in the recent harvest.

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 89, 90 and 91 together.

May I make a respectful submission? Is it appropriate to take them all together as they relate not altogether to an identical matter?

I have no function as to the way a Minister answers a question.

The position about the 1961 wheat crop is as follows:

(1) More than 70% of the crop— over a quarter of a million tons—has already been accepted as millable and paid for on that basis.

(2) The main object of the changes made in the 1961 Wheat Order was to emphasise the need for producing and marketing wheat in good millable condition.

(3) Wheat which is not up to millable standards can be used only for feed purposes, and payment for such wheat on a millable basis would represent much more than its value.

(4) No farm crop or other farm product carries a guarantee against losses due to weather conditions, and it would not be equitable to single out wheat for special retrospective treatment in this respect.

(5) It would be detrimental to the future of wheat growing to guarantee to growers the same return on their crop irrespective of the condition in which it is marketed.

It was in the light of all these considerations that the Government reached their decision.

A Deputy

Why did you not answer that before the election?

Does the Minister's reply simply mean that the Government intend doing nothing ?

It means what I have said.

We have asked what steps the Minister proposes to take.

I have taken the necessary steps.

Has the Minister seen a report in the Irish Farmers' Journal in which the Minister for Finance said that he was making funds available to farmers who, because of weather conditions, had lost their crops?

I did not see the report.

I would advise the Minister to read the report.

Would the Minister agree with it?

I would not.

Would the Taoiseach be able to ensure that Members of the Government occasionally speak to one another so that when they speak in public they will not mislead one another?

Is that why the Minister for Finance has left the Chamber?

He saw that there was one of the most important wheat agents in the country there and knew the farmers' interests would be looked after.

Is it the Government's belief that the interests of wheat growing farmers are best looked after by agents and millers, or is it the belief that the Minister for Agriculture has some function himself to protect the interests of the wheat growing farmers against the agents and millers? May I ask the Minister, if he calls on the farmers as a national duty to sow and grow wheat, has he not some corresponding obligation to say to these farmers: "If, for reasons over which you have no control, such as storm or flood, your wheat deteriorates to the point where it is unsaleable for milling, I will see that some help is given to you to protect you against losses", which in this year have crippled several small farmers who took the Minister's advice and acted on the Government's request and planted wheat——

That is an argument, not a question.

It is not. I am asking him why did he say that the Minister for Finance is discussing this with agents who are best qualified to look after the interests of the farmers? I say they are not. The Minister's job is to protect the farmers. Surely he has some duty to look after the farmers who are asked to grow wheat and now want protection ?

The Deputy is taking his mind back too far. He is taking it back to a period when we did have to publicise and advertise the growing of wheat and appeal to farmers to grow wheat.

Has that day gone ?

That stage has been passed for a very long time and I think it is a wonderful tribute to us that we are now in the position of witnessing the change in those who took that line and did not want to have our land used for the purpose of growing wheat when we wanted it. Now they are the protectors of the small farmers, moryah!

Does the Government propose to give the small farmers who have lost money this year no compensation for the losses which the Minister knows——

And barley, and corn, and store-cattle and all the rest.

No, I am talking about wheat. You did not ask them to grow oats or barley.

When——

They grew it and lost on it.

I fixed prices and conditions under which it was going to be purchased and we honoured that bond.

You are not honouring it.

(Interruptions.)

The Minister is not interested because no one in Cavan is growing wheat.

Look at the grandmothers of Fine Gael getting troubled about the wheat growers.

(Interruptions.)

The Minister is not fit for his job and the sooner they get rid of him the better.

You will make the world outside believe we have a problem.

As long as the Minister is there we will have a problem.

A very big problem.

You will have a stone wall problem as long as I am here because you will not get through it.

Questions should end now or in five minutes' time. I am asking Deputies to allow me to finish the questions to the Minister for Agriculture.

Because there are only a few. I have no interest in the matter beyond the matter of time.

A quarter past five is a quarter past five.

And they should end——

I do not object in the least.

We will bring him here tomorrow. Might I suggest to the Taoiseach that two o'clock will be required?

Would the Deputy suggest one o'clock?

The remaining Questions will appear on the Order Paper tomorrow.

Will we take them at two o'clock?

I do not know.

That is what I am suggesting.

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