asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that many farmers in the west of Ireland and particularly in County Galway who received cheques, that were not honoured for farm produce have suffered a very substantial loss; and if he will take any action in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Produce Cheques.
28.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative and the second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.
In so far as farmers or others are in difficulties in this respect it is open to them to take up the matter with their banks. I have already informed the House in reply to questions on 28th January that the banks have assured me that they will treat sympathetically any genuine cases of difficulty on representations being made to them.
Does the Minister seriously believe that there are not people suffering from the effects of the bank strike and that many small businesses and firms are not in grave financial difficulty because of the prolonged bank strike? Would the Minister not agree that special credit facilities should be given to these businesses and firms and farmers and other people who have suffered because of the bank strike? Surely the Minister must have better information than he appears to have in regard to this serious matter?
Would the Deputy give me one case in which somebody has been in difficulty with his bank, in difficulty which is attributable solely to the fact that he received cheques which were RD——
Hundreds of them.
——in other words, which was not due to anything other than the person concerned having gone above his agreed overdraft limit? In all the complaints I have got, I have not got one such case.
I can give the Minister one.
The Deputies can make allegations but I should like to get a practical, concrete case.
Is the Minister aware that the number of RD cheques has been completely out of proportion compared with what is normal within the community as a direct result of the bank strike?
The question relates to farmers in the west of Ireland and County Galway in particular.
The Minister has widened the scope of the question on the bank strike.
The Minister should not have widened it.
To narrow it, has the Minister, in the wake of the strike, discussed the situation with a view to finding out the extent of the problem? Has he sought any meeting with the banks?
I have been in very close contact with the banks.
And they verify the Minister's own opinion on the matter?
Yes, they do. I have said in this House previously, and I say again that I have not come across any such cases as I have described. If I get such a case I shall certainly take action.
Does the Minister invite people to write to him with all their problems on this matter?
If any Deputy can give me any such case I shall be very interested. I invite Deputy O'Connell to give me one such case.
I can give you one hundred cases.
(Interruptions.)
It was I who put down Question No. 27 and the Chair failed to allow me to put a supplementary question.
We have gone beyond Question No. 27 now and the Deputy made no attempt to put a question.
Sorry, the question was No. 28.
If the Deputy wishes to put a supplementary question on No. 28 I shall accept it.
In the course of the Minister's reply he said he was not aware that people were in difficulties due to this bank strike——
That is not what I said.
The Minister cannot deny that the question I put down refers to farmers in the west of Ireland who sold farm produce and the cheques they got for this farm produce were not honoured. Because of this the dealers or businessmen who cashed these cheques for them went around as soon as the bank strike was over and handed back these cheques to these people. In view of the fact that they are in serious financial difficulty, some of these people who live on a shoe string, would the Minister make financial arrangements with the banks, not at the rate at which the banks usually lend money, to facilitate these people?
I could not undertake to do that.