asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state when he intends to increase the butter ration.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Butter Ration.
I cannot at this stage say whether or when it may be possible to increase the butter ration.
In view of the fact that the supply of foodstuffs for cattle has improved considerably during the last 12 months can the Parliamentary Secretary indicate when it will be possible to increase the ration of butter?
The Deputy expects cows to increase milk in December, I suppose?
I will talk to the Minister for Agriculture later.
He thinks there are coalition chickens that lay in two months.
As a result of the policy which my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, has pursued, feeding stuffs have become more plentiful in the last 12 months and, as a result, the butter ration during the year 1948 was substantially higher than it was during 1947, except for a very limited period.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary ask the Minister for Agriculture to produce a cow that will milk in two months as he produced chickens that could lay eggs in two months?
It was not indeed my intention to imply that the Minister for Agriculture is able to wave a magic wand——
Has the Deputy a question to ask?
——but it is very surprising that people can get butter on the black market at 5/- a lb.
Has the Deputy a supplementary question to ask?
Is the Minister aware that the poor are trying to buy butter at 5/- and 6/- a lb., and can the Government not increase the ration? The only reason that I see why they cannot increase it is that they will have to pay a further subsidy on it, and they do not want to do that.
The Deputy is making a speech.
The people whom you promised that you would reduce the cost of living by 30 per cent. are paying 5/- a lb. for butter.
How much did they pay before that?
The butter ration is six ounces a week and has remained at that since January of last year except for a reduction in August to October. During the previous year the butter ration for a considerable part of the year was two ounces. In another part of the year it was four ounces, and only for a period it was six ounces.
That was during the emergency period.