asked the Minister for Agriculture if it is intended to promote the greater use of fertilisers on Irish grassland.

It is the established practice of my Department to promote greater use of fertilisers on grassland and the figures of usage indicate steady improvement in this respect. Advisory and publicity measures within the limits of available resources will continue to be used for this purpose in the future.

Would the Minister agree that the removal by his Government of the phosphate and lime subsidies were acts which go in precisely the opposite direction to that intended in the question?

I do acknowledge that the removal of the subsidies brought about an increase in costs. That obviously is so. The profitability of the product, whether cereal crops, sugar-beet or anything else, also increased but in a very satisfactory way.

There is the 2 per cent levy.

If the Deputy feels like making a song about it he may.

The song will be played by more than me.