asked the Minister for Agriculture if he intends to publish a national plan for the development of agriculture.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Plan for Agriculture.
6.
I have recently received the report of the working group which was set up to prepare a four-year plan for agriculture. I will consider publication of the report when I have completed examination of it.
Is the Minister aware that this plan has been published in the Farmers Journal? Has he any comment to make on last week's Farmers Journal which suggested the Department of Finance are causing some problems in publishing the full report and in implementing a satisfactory plan for Irish farmers for the future?
If it appeared in some publication in the State it should not have because it was not supposed to be public knowledge.
There are some leaks in the Department.
I regret it happened but it is one of those matters over which I have not absolute control. It will take some time for us to study the plan. I have had it for some weeks. It is a very extensive document but I hope that within a few months we will be able to make a report on it.
Will the revamped scheme reflect the targets in the plan?
I am not in a position to make any comment on it. There are more than 70 recommendations. It is an extensive document and it will require much detailed study. It will be some months before we will be in a position to comment officially on it.
When the Minister has examined the recommendations, will he, if it is necessary, change the farm modernisation scheme to fit in with the targets in the plan?
I cannot divulge the extent of the new farm modernisation scheme and, because of that, I am not in a position to answer the Deputy's question. However, I hope to be able to give some indication of the position within a few days.
It was the same story yesterday.
It is a different storyteller today.
That is the problem in the Department. Everyone tells a different story.
(Limerick West): Will the Minister take the opportunity to discuss the plan with interested organisations?
Interested organisations were involved in drawing up the plan. I would remind the House that the people who were included on the committee that drew up the plan were, for instance, representatives of the ACC, ACOT, An Foras Talúntais, CBF, the General Council of Committees of Agriculture, the Meat Exporters' Association, the ICOS, ICMSA, the IDA, Macra na Feirme and the Departments of Finance and Agriculture.
(Limerick West): I am aware of that. I know the Minister will not produce the plan as it has been handed to him. I am asking him if he is prepared to discuss with the interested bodies the revamped plan that will be produced eventually? I have no doubt it will be a completely different plan.
The Deputy is incorrect in making that assumption. Of course I shall be only too delighted to discuss the matter with any interested body.
Is the Minister aware that some of the bodies he named have retired or resigned from the committee since last spring because they were annoyed and insulted that, after all their work, the Minister was not prepared to publish it.
The Deputy has not got his facts right. The representative from the IFA and from Macra na Feirme resigned because they said I had refused to meet them to discuss the interim report. I never received a request from them to meet the committee to discuss the interim report and I have pointed this out in the House already.
Is that the reason the Minister has not published the plan?
Give me credit. I am not that petty. That had nothing to do with it.