asked the Minister for Lands and Agriculture whether he is aware that Inspectors of his Department will not allow eggs to be exported in boxes made from home-grown timber; whether this regulation will have serious effects on the sawmill industry in the State, and whether he is further aware that as a result of the rejection by his Department of egg boxes made from home-grown timber at Lord Sligo's Sawmills, Westport, these mills are about to be closed down and fourteen men, several of them with families, disemployed.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - EXPORTATION OF EGGS.
Under the Agricultural Produce (Eggs) Act, 1924, there is no bar against the use of native timber in the manufacture of standard egg cases. The only stipulation set out in the regulations made under the Act with regard to the class of timber to be used for the purpose is that the wood shall be well seasoned, clean, dry and free from bark, wane, feather and knots. These requirements are directed against the danger of injury to the quality and flavour of the eggs to be packed, and with a view to securing good marketable appearance. Large numbers of standard egg cases, constructed from native timber, which conform to the afore-mentioned requirements, have come under the observation of the Department's Inspectors. Many small saw mills in the country have not sufficient facilities to allow of the thorough seasoning of timber, and cases made from native timber are, therefore, often unseasoned, or only partially seasoned, and when eggs are packed therein the latent dampness of the case contaminates the packing material and causes the eggs to become straw-stained and musty. If all case-makers who use native timber in the manufacture of standard egg cases could arrange to allow the timber to become thoroughly seasoned, egg cases constructed therefrom would be quite as suitable for use by exporters as those made from foreign timber. Quantities of egg cases made at Lord Sligo's Sawmills, Westport, have been examined from time to time by the Department's Inspectors and found not to comply in many respects with the requirements of the Regulations made under the Agricultural Produce (Eggs) Act after consultation with representative egg shippers.
Mr. O'CONNELL
Are we to take it that the fault is in the manufacture of the egg cases rather than in the fact that they are manufactured from home-grown timber?
Mr. HOGAN
Yes.