asked the Minister for Agriculture if his statement of the 6th February in the Dáil regarding the price of milk in Dublin is to be taken as covering the price for 1941/42, and if, in view of the substantial increase in the cost of feeding stuffs and the difficulty of obtaining adequate supplies, he is prepared to fix a price which will give a reasonable margin of profit to the producer.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Milk in Dublin.
It is my statutory duty to consider at any early date and to fix the prices to be paid for milk to producers in the Dublin area for the period beginning 1st May. I am not, therefore, in a position at this date to make any statement in the matter.
When the Minister does come to take that decision, if it involves an increase in the price of milk, will he undertake to make representations to the Government that a subsidy should be forthcoming in order that the poor of the city would get supplies of milk at a price which they are able to pay?
One of the principal considerations that the Minister must keep in mind in this case is the capacity of the consumer to pay.
Will the Minister bear in mind, if the cost of production rises to a level which demands an increase in price, that price must be forthcoming or milk production will cease? At the same time, will he bear in mind that the poor of the city must get milk and that the dilemma demands a subsidy?
If there is such a dilemma, yes.