asked the Minister for Agriculture if he has seen the statement by Donegal millers which appeared in the newspapers of the 7th instant which differs materially from his own statement during the debate on his Estimate; and, if so, whether he has any further comment to make in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Statement by Donegal Millers.
I have seen the statement in the newspapers by the Donegal millers, referred to by the Deputy. I have no comment to make upon it.
Does the Minister not think it in the best interests of the industry that the matter should not be left in its present position, the Minister saying one thing and the oat millers saying something else?
I can assure the Deputy that this will not be the last occasion upon which the Minister will say one thing while the millers are saying something else, and if the oatmeal millers continue to inform the farmers of Donegal that they have no room to take in oats at 2/- a stone under the Government scheme but that they have room to take in oats at 1/9 a stone, I will have a lot more to say.
That is not the question you were asked at all.
As the Deputy said, that is not the issue at the moment. What I would like the Minister to establish is, who is right about the order that was given? The Minister says it was flakemeal. The millers say it was oatmeal. I would like to know from the Minister how the order was given and the terms of the order.
The terms of the order have already been communicated to the House. The precise form in which it was given is not a matter which I desire to define, but the Deputy may take it as final and conclusive that the description of this transaction which I gave to the House is the true description and any future description of the activities of these gentlemen that I will communicate to the House will be true in exactly the same way.
I was not reflecting on the Minister's veracity, but the Minister has so far evaded the precise point made by the millers, that is, what was ordered and how it was ordered. My information is that it was ordered by telephone.
The Deputy's information is quite mistaken.