asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider having a survey made of the upper reaches of the River Fergus, County Clare, so as to get an estimate of the cost of dredging and deepening it in order to ease the annual flooding of the lands adjoining the river, which causes serious losses to the farmers concerned.

The river Fergus catchment area has been listed for treatment under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, and for that purpose an engineering survey will be carried out in due course. Having regard, however, to the extent of the arterial drainage programme and present commitments it is not possible to say when the Fergus catchment can be reached.

Arising out of the reply, is there any danger that the drainage of the Fergus will take place before the drainage of the Maigue?

Arising out of the reply, I should like to say that now that the House realises the importance of the agricultural industry to this country——

Do they?

They do.

I am sure the Deputy does not intend to make a speech.

I could, mind you. However, all I want to do is to stress one point. When we realise what the agricultural industry means to this country and when we realise all that the export of our cattle in many forms means in terms of money——

We might have 156 speeches at Question Time.

Does the Chair know what I want to tell the House? The people of Clare think it is damn near time that somebody stood up in this House to say something for them. It is for that reason——

Will the Deputy put it in the form of a question?

It is time we looked at the small contribution from State funds that is made to agriculture, small in proportion to the large amount of money that industry is bringing in.