I wish, with your permission, to raise on the adjournment the following matter—Owing to the backward state of tillage operations this season and the poor condition of farm horses, arising from the effects of the intensive spring sowing campaign, farmers find it impossible to carry on, at the present time, the essential work of shifting farmyard manures by using these horses and, in the circumstances, will the Minister for Industry and Commerce grant supplementary petrol allowances to lorry owners engaged by farmers at this work. A number of farmers find it difficult——

If the Deputy desires to raise the matter on the adjournment, he is not at liberty to make a speech upon it now.

I did not hear a word the Deputy said.

The Minister has not got the point of the Deputy's question.

Owing to the intensive tillage campaign, farmers have to employ lorries for the shifting of farmyard manure so as to ease the situation. As the Minister is aware, many of the crops, particularly potatoes, mangolds and sugar beet, are in a backward state and require farmyard manure. Will the Minister make a supplementary allocation of petrol to enable these lorries to engage in the removal of farmyard manure?

The Deputy proposes to raise that matter on the adjournment?

If the Minister is prepared to grant an allocation of petrol for this purpose, it will be sufficient for me.

I received no notice of any kind that the Deputy proposed to raise this question and I had no opportunity of examining the point. If the Deputy desired a reply to his question, he should have given notice.

He does not ask for a reply now. He is merely giving notice to raise the matter on the adjournment.

He did not say a word about the adjournment.

He did, but the Minister did not hear it.

Is Deputy Morrissey in the Chair?

Deputy Heskin said that he would be satisfied with the Minister's assurance.

The Deputy will appreciate that it is not possible for me, on the spur of the moment, to undertake to increase the allocation of petrol to anybody. I cannot increase the quantity of petrol available. All the petrol which is coming in is being distributed to somebody. If one class gets more, some other class must get less. Will the Deputy suggest from whom the allocation he suggests should be taken? It may be that what he suggests should be done, but it is a matter which requires consideration. It is not a matter to be done on the spur of the moment.

Would it be possible to curtail the supply of petrol to the military?

That is a matter I am not prepared to decide on the spur of the moment or even to-day.

I merely wanted to raise it on the adjournment——

If the Deputy will send me particulars of cases in which people with work to do have not sufficient petrol to do it, I shall have the petrol made available if it is possible to do so.

Will the matter be raised on the adjournment?

It will not now be necessary to raise it.