§ Mr. SCANLANasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he is now in a position to give a further estimate as to the shortage in the Irish potato crop of this year; whether he can state, approximately, the quantity of Irish potatoes of this year's crop shipped from Ireland up to the end of October; and whether shipment of potatoes from Ireland is still going on?
§ Mr. DUKEThe Irish Department of Agriculture inform "me that the information so far available would indicate an estimated yield of sound potatoes of about 4 tons per statute acre. This is 2.2 tons per acre less than in the year 1915 and 1.2 tons less than the ten years' average for 1904 to 1915. The estimated production this year would be about 2,350,000 tons against 3,710,000 tons last year. In comparison with the ten years' average from 1904 to 1915 this would be a decrease of about 750,000 tons. A further examination of the available returns may, however, lead to a slightly revised estimate of the yield per acre. Statistics are not yet available in the Department showing exactly the total quantity of this year's crop of potatoes shipped from Ireland to the end of October. This shipment is still going on, but hitherto at a rate below the normal. The whole question is receiving the most careful consideration from the Department in consultation with the Government.