§ 59. Mr. CLANCYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether in several cases in the county of Dublin, particulars of one of which have been furnished to him for his private information, the bonus guaranteed for the production of potatoes has been refused because, although more than twice the quantity required to qualify the grower for the payment of the bonus was supplied to the public within the space of five or six weeks, the guarantee of the Government was not honoured to any extent whatever on the ground that 4 tons were not sold at a time within the space of seven days: and whether, in view of the fact that the Regulations were not sufficiently made known to the farmers and were not known even to the police who were supposed to have some share in their enforcement, he will now cause the 1364 guarantee to be respected and the persons paid the bonus the promise of which induced them to produce a much larger quantity of potatoes last year than usual?
§ Mr. CLYNESI am not aware of any grievance of the nature indicated beyond the particular case sent me by the hon. Member, into which I am causing inquiries to be made. I should not have thought that the terms of the guarantee could ever have been construed to apply to the circumstances described in the question.
§ Mr. WATTWas this limitation of 4 tons made at the time the promise was given to the growers or was it an afterthought?
§ Mr. CLYNESIt certainly was not an afterthought; indeed, in the first instance 6 tons was mentioned, and it was afterwards reduced to 4 tons as a concession to the parties concerned.