asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware of a scarcity of mole ploughs and that as a result some applicants have delay or difficulty in completing their land rehabilitation schemes; and if he will provide some incentive to co-operatives and contractors to buy such ploughs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mole Ploughs.
58.
I am aware that some applicants in Leitrim and North Roscommon have difficulty in completing land project schemes which include mole drainage because contractors employed by them are not equipped to do such work. County advisory and land project staffs in these areas are examining ways of solving this problem. There is no general scarcity of mole ploughs and I do not consider it necessary to offer special incentives to co-operatives and contractors to buy such ploughs.
The Minister will agree that there is a scarcity in the areas he has mentioned. I do not know why this should be but I would suggest that he take a particular interest in it because, as he stated, there are those difficulties arising out of the completion of grant applications which are frustrating to the applicants.
All I can say by way of further reply to the Deputy is that there is no scarcity of mole ploughs in the country, if people wish to buy them and use them; they are not all that expensive.
How effective are mole ploughs in the Leitrim-type of soil?
That is a separate question.
I am afraid I have not sufficient technical knowledge to answer that.
Question No. 59 postponed.