asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is yet in a position to make a statement on the question of egg prices for 1951-52, for the guidance of Irish producers and if he will state (i) the number of hen-and-duck stations about to be closed down in each county, and (ii) the number and location of hatcheries serving each province.
Written Answer. - Price of Eggs.
I would refer the Deputy to my statement on the 15th June last in the Dáil, when moving the adoption of the Estimates for my Department, in which I announced the prices to egg producers until the 31st January, 1952. I would also refer the Deputy to many subsequent public statements which I have made on this matter. The prices which I have announced for 1951-52 are 2/- per dozen from 1st February, 1951, to 31st August, 1951, and 3/6 per dozen from 1st September, 1951, to 31st January, 1952.
I am not yet in a position to state the number of hen and hen-and-duck stations that will be discontinued in each county after the 1951 season as the county committees of agriculture have not yet completed the selection of applicants for poultry stations for 1951. The total number of hen and hen-and-duck stations in operation in the 1950 season was 533. The committees were requested not to select any new applicants for hen or hen-and-duck stations for the 1951 season, and it is, therefore, probable that the number of such stations for that season will not exceed 533.
It is open to holders of hen or hen-and-duck stations to qualify for provisional permits to supply hatching eggs to licensed hatcheries and, in fact, the majority of these station-holders have already so qualified. The decision to discontinue hen or hen-and-duck stations after 1951 does not, therefore, imply that the output of these stations will no longer be available to poultry-keepers.
The appended table shows the number of hen and hen-and-duck stations in operation in each county and province in 1950 and also the number of licensed poultry hatcheries.
TABLE
|
County and Province |
Number of Hen and Hen-and-Duck Stations in operation in 1950 |
Number of licensed Poultry Hatcheries |
|
Carlow |
9 |
5 |
|
Dublin |
11 |
14 |
|
Kildare |
2 |
2 |
|
Kilkenny |
5 |
7 |
|
Laois |
6 |
3 |
|
Longford |
7 |
1 |
|
Louth |
16 |
3 |
|
Meath |
18 |
6 |
|
Offaly |
13 |
5 |
|
Westmeath |
17 |
1 |
|
Wexford |
21 |
2 |
|
Wicklow |
7 |
8 |
|
LEINSTER |
132 |
57 |
|
Clare |
9 |
2 |
|
Cork |
66 |
29 |
|
Kerry |
34 |
6 |
|
Limerick |
22 |
8 |
|
Tipperary |
19 |
10 |
|
Waterford |
20 |
11 |
|
MUNSTER |
170 |
66 |
|
Galway |
63 |
2 |
|
Leitrim |
18 |
1 |
|
Mayo |
47 |
6 |
|
Roscommon |
14 |
4 |
|
Sligo |
14 |
7 |
|
CONNAUGHT |
156 |
20 |
|
Cavan |
19 |
4 |
|
Donegal |
34 |
4 |
|
Monaghan |
22 |
2 |
|
ULSTER (part-of) |
75 |
10 |
|
TOTAL |
533 |
153 |