asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries what action the Government proposes taking arising from the recommendations contained in the publication Agriculture in the West of Ireland, a study of the low farm income problem, by John J. Scully.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Income Recommendations.
88.
The report was published primarily in order to create a better understanding and to encourage a wider discussion of the problems of agriculture in the West of Ireland. The specific recommendations contained in the report are, in many respects, similar to the proposals for reform of farm structures currently being considered in the EEC. Action on the report must, therefore, await the emergence of EEC decisions on structural policy and be in conformity with them.
Surely the Minister would consider it quite extraordinary that one should now decide to await the emergence of the EEC structural reform programme when, in fact, there are many recommendations in this report which are worthy of consideration and implementation irrespective of the application for EEC entry? Must any suggestion for the internal reform of Irish agricultural law await EEC directives or representations? The report should be the subject of intensive discussion internally in the Department with regard to examining the many sound recommendations from Dr. Scully's report.
If Deputy Desmond understood me to suggest that no action on any of the recommendations of Dr. Scully is contemplated until entry to EEC, this is a misunderstanding of the case. We have already discussed a similar question in relation to the Beara peninsula. The Scully report would cover areas such as that also. No such inactivity is contemplated at all. In fact, the intensification of such things as the farm bonus incentive scheme and other farm development schemes is continuing regardless of EEC entry, or with an eye to inevitable EEC entry.