"I am unwilling," he wrote, "to
take the responsibility of declining to aid in any effort to promote
useful legislation in Ireland."
Ultimately, Sir Horace Plunkett's strong personality, his manifest
singleness of purpose, and the intrinsic merits of his proposal carried
the day. A committee, truly representative of all that was best in Irish
life, was brought together, and commissioners were despatched to the
Continent to report upon those systems of State aid linked with
voluntary organisation which appeared to have revolutionised agriculture
in countries not otherwise more favoured than Ireland itself. A large
mass of most valuable information was collected. In less than a year the
committee reported. The substance of the recommendation was
"That a Department of Government should be specially created, with
a minister directly responsible to Parliament at its head. The
Central Body was to be assisted by a Consultative Council
representative of the interests concerned. The Department was to be
adequately endowed from the Imperial Treasury, and was to
administer State aid to agriculture and industries in Ireland upon
principles which were fully described.
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