If the Senator would refer to section 1, he will see there a definition of qualified society, which means an industrial and provident society registered under the Act of that name of 1893 which has for, or amongst its purposes or objects, the provision of turf for fuel. A qualified group is defined as meaning a group consisting of not fewer than three individual persons as regards which the board is satisfied that there is in force for the time being an agreement, in a form approved of by the board and to which each member of the group is a party, whereby it is agreed by the group to do either or both of the following: (a) by purchase, lease, hire or otherwise to acquire, or acquire the use of, turf development equipment and to use the equipment for the production of turf or turf products for fuel, and (b) to develop a bog for the production of turf or turf products for fuel.
Now, if the Senator is concerned that perhaps just a few people could get together and call themselves a group, thereby qualifying for 60 per cent instead of 45 per cent, it will not be quite that simple. As I have indicated, each member of the group would have to have signed an agreement which has been approved by Bord na Móna binding them to carry out the kind of purposes set out in the definition.
One point raised in the other House was that of a man who had a right of turbary and who might group with his wife and child and thereby get the higher grant. Of course, they would not be contributing any additional turf, or right of turbary. Each person would have to be contributing, for the agreement to be acceptable to Bord na Móna. The object of the exercise is to get a large enough section of bogland to make it an economic proposition, particularly for the use of mechanised methods of winning turf. A device simply to get a higher level of grant would not be acceptable and will not be accepted by Bord na Móna in executing this section.
