asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state if he received from the British Ministry of Food or any other British Government source any protest following his removal of the export ban on pigs of all classes to the Six Counties from the Republic of Ireland and if he will further state how this prohibition on the export of pigs came about, in what agreement it is provided for and with what Government the agreement was made.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Removal of Export Ban.
No.
In Question No. 30 I asked the Minister to state the basis on which the export ban against pigs of all classes as between the Republic and the Six Counties exists.
On what basis? I made an Order prohibiting the export of any pig from the Republic of Ireland quite recently.
Yes, but I am asking the Minister if he will say that that Order is based upon some agreement or other as between the British or as between the Six County Government and ourselves.
Not at all. It all arose out of the economic war. In 1933 our predecessors in office, in a moment of heroic fury, prohibited the export of everything and then proceeded to exclude certain categories. This was operated until 1939. From 1939 to 1943 an emergency powers Order—Export of Pigs and Bacon Order, 1939— operated, and there was a Pigs and Bacon Export Committee to license all exports of pigs and bacon. That Order purported to be made because it appeared to be necessary for maintaining supplies and services essential to the life of the community, but it was also designed to fit in with British war-time control of imports for so long as we had supplies of pigs to export to Great Britain. Some collogue went on with the British Government and they made their Order, and apparently a corresponding Order was made here by our predecessors and it fitted in with whatever arrangements were then made. Exports of pigs and bacon ceased in 1942 and, as the functions of the Pigs and Bacon Export Committee established by the Order thereafter virtually ceased, the Order was replaced in 1943 by another Order—Control of Exports (Amendment) No. 20 Order, 1943.
Deputy Smith can be excused for being unaware of these facts for at this stage the control of most matters in the Department of Agriculture had passed into the hands of the Minister for Supplies who was acting in the role of Pooh-Bah. A copy of that Order, which was made by the Minister for Supplies, while, in respect of it, the licensing authority regarding pigs was the Minister for Agriculture, is attached, and if the Deputy would wish, I can read it for him.
Since we are under no obligation on foot of any agreement to have such a ban in existence, and since the Minister himself has failed to secure from the British an economic price for any surplus bacon we may have, what justification can the Minister offer for the reimposition of the ban, which is designed to prevent producers from securing suitable prices for their bacon and pigs?
Oh, no. It is designed to prevent the bacon curers running a racket to exploit our people and charge them twice the price they ought to charge, and to check them.
Major de Valera
Would the Minister like to see bacon that is being sold in Dublin?
Would the Minister say whether the ban has been reimposed in the interests of the producer or the consumer or the bacon curer?
I will, gladly. It was reimposed primarly in the interest of the producer consequent on notification being given to me by the bacon curers that they had reduced the price of pork to 180/- and that they were about to reduce it to 150/- and, saving the Deputy's presence, I told them to go and take a running jump at themselves, and I can tell you pork was not 180/- very long.
How can the Minister say that this ban was reimposed in the interest of the producers since, as a result of its reimposition, the price to the producer fell substantially?
Perhaps the Deputy will wait for the answer to his next question, No. 31.
May I ask Deputy de Valera where he secured the package of bacon that he has in his hand?
Question No. 31.