Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I too acknowledge the dispute in Ballinamore where local farming interests are concerned by the proposed closure of the Teagasc station. This is not a unique incident as it has been happening elsewhere for the last 12 months. It is the result of the slow strangulation by Government of the research and development wing of the agricultural and horticultural sector. The attempts by the Government to explain away and minimise the Ballinamore situation, are one more step in its plan to eliminate the important element of research and development in the food producing sector. It also eliminates the role fulfilled and encouragement given by Teagasc in the past. As the Minister of State is well-versed on the subject, I hope he will take into account the damage that will be done in the event of a further repetition of the Ballinamore situation. The numbers employed in such stations are small but areas such as Ballinamore depend on the influence of having a testing station. Ballinamore is certainly not in the prime lands of the countryside but having the influence of a local testing station is crucial, particularly for local people.

I wish to register my concern about the proposals in this legislation that will see the merging of Bord Glas and Bord Bia. I congratulate Deputy Ned O'Keeffe for speaking out in the forthright manner in which he did earlier. Coming with a considerable knowledge——

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