asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that farmers on Whiddy Island, County Cork, are being forced to abandon milk production due to the lack of creamery facilities on the island and if he will take steps to see that a separating station is provided in this area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Creamery Station for County Cork Island.
The answer to the first part of the question is no. As regards the second part of the question, I am informed that the Drinagh Co-operative Creamery, in whose area the island is situated, considers that the quantity of milk available on the island would not justify the provision of a separating station, and that with a view to meeting the needs of the islanders, the Drinagh Creamery have offered, if the islanders will arrange for transport of the milk to the mainland, that the creamery will carry it to their nearest separating station and arrange for the return of the separated milk, the transport on the mainland being free of charge.
Is the Minister aware that Drinagh Co-operative Society have for the past ten years refused to make any arrangements, except to suggest now bringing out the milk whole across the bay and having the separated milk returned in the evening, involving two journeys to and from the island? Is it not very unfair, if the Drinagh Co-operative Society fail to provide a market for the milk, in their area, that they should be permitted still to fail to provide that market?
Does the Deputy not think those representations should be reasonably addressed to the committee of Drinagh Co-operative Society?
Mr. O'Sullivan
Yes, they have been, over a period of ten years.
I think, on the whole, that the proposal is reasonable to receive the milk, if it is brought by a carrier on behalf of the island people, as is done frequently from mountainous areas, where one neighbour will carry all the neighbours' milk to a point of collection; and that it is not unreasonable, further, that in the evening the one carrier will come out from the island and bring back the skimmed milk, if the people want it. If the Deputy can make any superior proposal, I will certainly be anxious to have it considered, but I think, on the whole, that it is a fair proposal on the part of Drinagh Co-operative Society. They made it under pressure from me and I think they have gone a reasonable distance and cannot be asked to perform the impossible.
Mr. O'Sullivan
Is the Minister aware that they refused for the very reason that it would not pay the creamery society to carry this milk from the pier in Bantry to their creamery and now they have decided to do it?
They are doing it now, because they have an excellent Minister for Agriculture.
In view of the fact that Drinagh Co-Operative Society has come thus far to meet the Minister, does he not think he can persuade them to make the operation of the milk collection and return of the separated milk one function? That can be done by a travelling creamery at the harbour.
Hard bargains are never good bargains. I got something from Drinagh and Drinagh persuaded me to give up something. That has resulted in some improvement in the present situation. Now, if the island people would double their output of milk, I do not rule out the possibility that, if the milk supply is substantially increased, I can investigate a further step later on, on the lines suggested by Deputy O'Sullivan.