§ 24. Mr. MULDOONasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) the date upon which his Department withdrew the Grant from the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society; what was then the amount of the Grant; whether its withdrawal was approved of by the Council of Agriculture; and what were the grounds put forward by that body for taking this step?
§ Mr. RUSSELLThe Department's Grant to the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society ceased on 31st December, 1908, in consonance with a minute of the Agricultural Board passed at a meeting held on 28th January in that year. The Minute pointed out that it was of primary importance that the Department should not be involved, directly or indirectly, in attacks upon any political party, in or out of Parliament, or upon any legitimate trading interest. The amount paid by the Department to the society in the calendar year 1908 was £3,450. The Council of Agriculture, at their meeting on 19th November, 1907, had approved of the gradual withdrawal and cessation of the subsidy on the following, among other, grounds, as mentioned in the 2466 Debate: (1) that it was not expedient that the funds of the Department should be expended through a nonrepresentative body over which the Department had no adequate supervision and control; (2) that the Organisation Society were encouraging co-operative trading in competition with shopkeepers, and that it was inequitable that State aid should be given to assist such trading, even indirectly; and (3) that, owing to the controversy that had arisen in the country in regard to the matter, the continuance of relations between the Department and the society would seriously impair and hamper the Department's work.
§ Mr. MOOREIs it not the fact that this withdrawal was also approved of by every gombeen man in the country?
§ Mr. RUSSELLI have no knowledge of gombeen men, Nationalist or Unionist.
§ Mr. MULDOONWill the right hon. Gentleman send a copy of his answer to the Development Commissioners?