Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

While I thank the Minister, there are a couple of problems with that response. It is not acceptable to have a statement to the effect that it is not appropriate for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to interfere in this area. I do not count it as interference when the State body responsible for horticultural development in the State makes decisions that are, at best, questionable. Moreover, that body already has been brought before, and is at present before, the Committee of Public Accounts because of this very move, which as the Minister has noted involves the expenditure of just short of €5 million of taxpayers' money for a new facility in Ashtown of a far less superior status than the existing facility in Kinsealy. Is the Minister aware the students still will be sent to Kinsealy for training purposes because there is not enough land at Ashtown? Is he aware that more land must be acquired at the latter site because it is not big enough to meet the present needs, including the rent of other premises, even though Kinsealy has 100 acres of the best horticultural land in the State? Does he consider that to be a worthy use of taxpayers' money?

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