asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the names of the persons whom he proposes to appoint to the committee of inquiry into milk costs and their qualifications.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Milk Costs Inquiry.
Mr. Walsh
I am not yet in a position to announce the complete list of the members of the proposed committee. I may mention that the committee, which will have an independent chairman, will include representatives of suppliers of milk to creameries and of producers of milk for liquid consumption, as well as consumer interests.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will recommend to the costings committee, when fixing the price of milk, that all creameries under the Dairy Disposals Company, give the same price for milk in accordance with the butter-fat percentage.
Mr. Walsh
The function of the costing authority will not be to fix milk prices but to ascertain the cost of milk production.
In any event, as I informed the Deputy in my reply to a question put down by him last July and also in a letter I sent him last November, it would not be practicable, for economic reasons, for the different creameries to pay the same price for milk.
asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he has satisfied himself that a proper costings committee for milk production, as is about to be set up by him, will have recommendations made to him before the 1st May, 1952; and, if not, whether he can state the nearest approximate date after that on which their recommendations will be available.
Mr. Walsh
I am not in a position to say when the milk costing committee will be able to furnish its findings. Having regard to the detailed and comprehensive nature of the investigation the Deputy may take it that it would be impracticable for the committee to do so before 1st May, 1952.
Considering the urgency of this matter, will the Minister not accept, what was very frequently stated in this House, that it costs 2/2 a gallon to produce milk in County Cork?
Mr. Walsh
I do not know anything about it.
I thought you did as you were a Deputy then.
Mr. Walsh
I do not think I ever mentioned these figures.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the basis or terms of reference in relation to the average yield per cow in the Republic of Ireland on which the costings committee will make their decision.
Mr. Walsh
The function of the proposed costing body will be to ascertain the cost of production under the actual conditions operative on the farms to be investigated. The selection of the farms to be covered by the investigation will be a matter for that authority. No doubt it will be found that varying conditions, including varying yields, will obtain on the farms concerned.