asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that Galway County Committee of Agriculture are short of staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Galway County Committee of Agriculture.
146.
The Galway County Committee of Agriculture has not recently made any application to my Department for approval to increase its staff. In October 1977 the committee requested approval for five extra instructors in agriculture and for five extra clerk typists for its sub-offices. After a full examination, the request was refused because of the low proportion of development farmers in the farm modernisation scheme in the county, averaging about eight per instructor, and because in the case of the clerical staff their employment at sub-offices was considered an uneconomic method of deploying personnel. The clerical staffing of committees of agriculture is at present being reviewed by a joint working party of my Department and the trade union involved.