asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the total acreage of beet grown for the Irish Sugar Company in 1974; and the acreage per county.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Beet Acreage.
37.
Data as to the acreage of sugar beet grown in each county in 1974 is not yet available from the Central Statistics Office but, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report a statement showing preliminary estimates of these acreages which has been prepared by Cómhlucht Siúicre Éireann Teoranta.
Following is the statement:
PRELIMINARY Estimates of Acreages of Sugar Beet grown under contract in 1974.
|
County |
Acreage |
|
Cavan |
— |
|
Donegal |
— |
|
Monaghan |
— |
|
Sligo |
38 |
|
Leitrim |
— |
|
Mayo |
96 |
|
Galway |
1,760 |
|
Roscommon |
124 |
|
Kerry |
660 |
|
Limerick |
24 |
|
Clare |
57 |
|
Cork |
18,300 |
|
Waterford |
1,819 |
|
Tipperary |
3,859 |
|
Louth |
59 |
|
Meath |
123 |
|
Westmeath |
83 |
|
Longford |
27 |
|
Laois |
4,837 |
|
Kildare |
3,963 |
|
Dublin |
67 |
|
Wicklow |
1,148 |
|
Wexford |
12,893 |
|
Carlow |
7,397 |
|
Kilkenny |
4,240 |
|
Offaly |
1,725 |
|
Mixture of Counties |
5 |
|
TOTAL |
63,304 |
I should like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary if it is true or false that in the region of 25,000 people will find themselves without employment as a result of this campaign?
In my view that is not relevant.
It is not relevant. This is a statistical question.
Certainly it is relevant. Either we sow beet or we do not. The Chair is being very unfair to me. I do not wish to have a personal fight with the Parliamentary Secretary but it appears to me that a lot of people are going to lose their employment because of the IFA campaign not to plant beet. The Parliamentary Secretary should tell me whether the Government have made accommodation with the beet growers or not.
I appreciate the Deputy's interest and I hope that his contribution will add still further to the desire of all of us to see this difficulty resolved. I agree with the Deputy that it could have a disastrous effect.
What are the Government doing about it?
It is quite clear what we are doing about it.
It is as clear as mud.
The Government are doing nothing about it.