asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that 70/- per barrel of 16 stone has been fixed as the price for malting barley in Great Britain, and whether he will bear this in mind when fixing prices for barley in this country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Malting Barley.
A price fixed for barley on an external market is not a matter which I am prepared to take into consideration in connection with the price of barley in this country.
Is the Minister aware that, as a result of his failure to take such factors into consideration during the past harvest, the farmers paid to Messrs Arthur Guinness, Son & Company, and to distillers in this country, £1,000,000 sterling, which the farmers ought to have got, but which in fact the brewers got, because the Minister fixed the price of barley at 30/-, when the brewers were paying 170/- for similar barley in the British market where they were selling the porter?
And not getting it.
They were paying 170/- while our farmers were forbidden to take more than 30/-, and Deputies on the Fianna Fáil Benches say "Hear, hear".
There is no limit to what the Deputy believes.
It is the truth.