asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the approximate additional subsidy required had the price of farm butter been maintained at the price prevailing in March, 1948.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Butter Subsidy.
Had the controls on the acquisition and distribution of farmers' butter not been removed, an additional sum of about £70,000 would have had to be provided for the payment of subsidies in the financial year 1948-49; but they were removed because experience has shown that the only real beneficiaries under this subsidy arrangement were the producers of grossly inferior butter who, under the provisions of the subsidy scheme, were virtually guaranteed as high a price as was payable for the best farmers' butter on offer.