asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state (a) the names and salaries of all the paid officials and directors of the Dairy Disposals Board and Holding Body at present employed at Government Buildings or head offices of the said bodies and also at McCurtain Street, Cork, and Lansdowne, Limerick; (b) the experience or qualifications of such directors and officers; (c) whether the groups of creameries now in the hands of those bodies were managed formerly by a general manager in Cork and another in Limerick; (d) when it is proposed to hand over the creameries presently held by those bodies to the farmers, and (e) if such handing over takes place whether the purchase price to the farmers will be reduced by the profits (if any) made on each group for the past five or six years while administered by the Dairy Disposals Board.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dairy Disposals Board.
(a) As regards the civil servants who are directors or officials of the Dairy Disposal Company, information as to their salaries will be found in the Civil Service Estimates. As regards non-civil servants who are directors or officials of the company, I do not consider it fair to the individuals concerned, or in the public interest, to give the information asked for.
(b) I am fully satisfied as to the experience and qualifications of the directors and officers in question.
(c) I understand that prior to the acquisition of the two companies by the Government, each company had an administration and technical staff, and was managed by a board of directors; that one member of each board acted as resident director, and that, in addition, one individual, who was a member of both boards, acted as managing director of the two companies. In this connection I may point out that the duties of the staff of the Dairy Disposal Company comprise much more than the commercial management of the two concerns originally acquired by the Government.
(d) The creameries will be transferred to the milk suppliers as soon as these farmers notify the company that they desire to acquire them, and that they have taken the necessary steps to meet, in due course, the cost of purchase.
(e) The sale prices will be such as represent the fair value of the properties as going concerns.