asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state the amount of tractor fuel oil in stock and if he will state the reasons for restricting or prohibiting the issue of permits to owners of agricultural tractors.

Owing to the necessity for conserving supplies for harvesting operations no general issue of permits for the purchase of kerosene by owners of agricultural tractors is at present being made, but where, in individual cases, it is shown that supplies are necessary for current needs, permits for limited quantities are issued.

It would not be in the public interest to state the amount of tractor fuel oil at present in stock.

Is the Minister not aware that there is difficulty in attending to growing crops and in sowing fresh crops, on account of the limitation in the issue of permits to owners of agricultural tractors? This is delaying the work. Has the Minister any suggestion to make as to how the work is to be done in the absence of permits for kerosene?

I have informed the Deputy that, if it is shown that the work is of such a nature that it cannot be done without supplies of kerosene, consideration will be given to applications.

May I take it that, if an owner of an agricultural tractor can make a good case, it will be favourably considered?

It will have to be a very good case.

That is tantamount to a refusal in any case.

No; there are exceptions.

Will the Minister say why applications for fuel for tillage for turnip crops were refused? Would he not consider that essential work?

I think that the Deputy addressed a similar question to the Minister for Agriculture, and got a reply from him.

But the people did not get the fuel.

The House was hardly treated fairly on the Estimate for the Department of Supplies because responsibility is now transferred, in the initial stage, to the Department of Agriculture, so that the farmers are pushed about from Billy to Jack, and do not know who is responsible.

The Deputy had every opportunity to make his case on my Estimate, and I think he made it about four times.

The Minister did not treat the case seriously. He promised the farmers adequate supplies of fuel oil for their tractors, and now they are held up for want of fuel oil. What is the Minister's promise worth?

Its weight in gold.

It is all right for you to smile, but the men whose tractors are idle cannot smile.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state what steps he is taking to see that the owners of agricultural tractors got the necessary supplies of tractor oil fuel.

Owing to the shortage of supplies of oil fuel, it has been necessary to restrict the issue of permits to purchase kerosene for agricultural tractors in the months of June and July to those cases in which it was established that the farmers concerned could not carry out essential agricultural operations with horses. As a result of the saving of fuel thus effected, it will be possible to arrange that each agricultural tractor owner who has completed the form issued to him by my Department in June will be authorised to purchase a reasonable supply of kerosene for harvesting and threshing. The available stocks of kerosene are limited and, therefore, all agricultural tractor owners should be as economical as possible in the use of this fuel, as portion of our stocks must be reserved for autumn ploughing and other essential agricultural work.

The Minister knows the conditions in County Dublin. Men with from 20 to 50 acres of early potatoes want to put them on the market. They also want to plough the ground and crop it before the end of the first week of August. Otherwise, the crops which they intend to put in will not mature. Have these men not a good case for a supply?

Some of them have and some of them have not.

I am stating the facts from my own knowledge. I know that they are correct. How does the Minister differentiate? People who used 400 or 500 gallons per month for agricultural work have a good case for obtaining a supply. Is it for joy-riding that they used that quantity in their tractors or are they going to waste the oil, now that it is double the price which it was a year ago? The public want an answer to this question. The farmers were appealed to to grow more food——

The Deputy may not make a speech.

I ask the Minister to be more explicit and tell the people of the country what they are to do with their tractors which are held up. They are not getting a quarter of the supply they got last year. I challenge contradiction of that.

Whenever my Department is satisfied that work cannot be carried on without kerosene they make a favourable recommendation to the Minister for Supplies. However, supplies will be badly needed during the harvesting season and the threshing season and, again, for the autumn ploughing.

In May, I use 850 gallons. I got a permit for 700 gallons and, in June, I got two gallons and in July none. My two tractors are idle. I could have 50 acres of hay in my shed if I had the oil.

There are many other tractors idle.