asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the position regarding the export of Irish seed wheat to Europe.

69.

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the position regarding the export of Irish seed oats to Europe.

70.

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries whether there will be an export market for certified Irish seed barley to Europe in 1974 and 1975; and, if so, the varieties of seed that will be best for the European market.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 69 and 70 together.

Irish certified seed of most foreign bred varieties which are propagated here may be marketed at present within the EEC. In addition when the Common Catalogue of Agricultural Plant Varieties is published at the end of this year, the Irish-bred varieties, Banba, Nessa and Hunter barley and Quern wheat may similarly be marketed.

Certified seed of varieties bred in the UK or on the Continent and propagated here would appear to have the best prospects on the export market.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary give me the name of the only seed wheat available for export?

The banba, nessa and hunter——

Surely the Parliamentary Secretary knows they are barley seeds?

The three varieties I have mentioned are barley seeds and the wheat seed is quern.

I do not think that is correct. There is only one wheat seed for export. Perhaps the Parliamentary Secretary would re-examine the matter and I shall raise it on another occasion.