asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will state why the farm buildings officers and land project officers of his Department were prevented from attending this year's Spring Show in Dublin, in view of the fact that they attended every other year and particularly in 1974.

Before the introduction of the farm modernisation scheme the normal practice was for land project supervisors to attend the RDS Spring Show on a three-year rotational basis. In the case of farm buildings officers a staff conference was convened each year during the show week in the course of which officers were given an opportunity of attending the show. This year, following the establishment of a single farm development service, it was decided to suspend these arrangements pending a review of existing practice in relation to all branches of the Department's staff and taking into account considerations such as the workload situation and the numbers and cost involved. A number of senior officers of the service did attend the show on official duty.