It may be well that I should say an explanatory word on the Supplementary Estimate before dealing with the main Estimate. The Supplementary Estimate is required for the purpose of paying subsidies on creamery butter as from 23rd August, 1954, to enable the retail price to be reduced by 5d. per lb. as from that date. The total amount of the Supplementary Estimate is calculated as follows:—
(1) Estimated sales of butter by creameries from 23rd August, 1954 to mid- February, 1955 (the end of the period in respect of which it is practicable to make payments within the financial year).
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345,000 cwt. @ 46/8 per cwt. (5d. per lb.)
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£805,000
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(2) Estimated stocks of cream ery butter held on 23rd August, 1954 by the Butter Marketing Committee, butter wholesalers and the larger retailers.
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125,000 cwt. @ 46/8 per cwt.
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£291,666
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Total
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£1,096,666
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say
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£1,100,000
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A Statutory Order to come into operation on 23rd August, 1954, will be made by the Minister for Industry and Commerce reducing the maximum retail price of creamery butter by 5d. per lb. and corresponding Orders will be made by the Minister for Agriculture reducing the maximum wholesale prices of creamery butter by 46/8 per cwt. The reduction in the prices received by creameries on sales of butter on and after that date will be made good to the creameries by a subsidy, as above, paid by this Department on the creameries' sales of butter.
In addition, it is necessary to pay a subsidy on stocks of creamery butter held by the Butter Marketing Committee, wholesalers and the larger retailers, such as multiple shops, at the close of business on 22nd August, 1954, for the reason that the value of their butter stocks, on sale, will have been reduced overnight. Such subsidy or allowance on stocks is only paid where the quantity of butter held is 3 cwt. or over. In the case of retailers who normally hold smaller stocks, it would be administratively impracticable to pay them an allowance on their stocks. The adequate notice already given of the reduction in the retail price should safeguard the position of these traders who, in their own interest, will obviously reduce their butter stocks to a minimum before the 23rd August. It is not necessary to pay a stocks allowance to creameries because an allowance will be paid on the butter when it is sold in due course.
There is no money available in the Dairy Produce (Price Stabilisation) Fund out of which a contribution could be made to relieve the Exchequer of any portion of the cost of this subsidy.
The cost of a subsidy in a full year is estimated at £1,725,000 on the basis of a consumption of 740,000 cwt., which represents an increase of 15,000 cwt. on the actual figure of 724,782 cwt. consumed during the financial year 1953-54.
Now, Sir, in accordance with practice, I have circulated for the information of Deputies a White Paper which gives in succinct form notes on some of the activities of the Department during the last 12 months. I hope I do not trespass unduly on the indulgence of my predecessor, Deputy Walsh, if I say that I have circulated this White Paper subject to his correction as, naturally, it deals very largely with matters of administration arising out of the last 12 months, when he was responsible for the Department of Agriculture, and is more or less a report to the House of how the Department went on during that period. If anything appears in it which Deputy Walsh considers requires amendment, I would advise the House that I think his amendment should be accepted but I do not imagine that he will find anything in this White Paper which conflicts with his view of what transpired during the past 12 months.
I am presenting the Estimate prepared by my predecessor. It, therefore, does not behove me to dwell at length on the Estimate on this occasion. Deputies will recall that by the procedure and rules of this House we must discuss on the Estimates, not matters of policy, but matters of administration. However, it may be permitted to me briefly to inform the House of certain matters of which they will wish to have knowledge in respect of the immediate future.
The House is aware that the Department of Agriculture has been concerned for some time to eradicate bovine T.B. from the herds of this country. Accordingly, on the 1st of next September, we propose to initiate a scheme to that end. We will take the County of Clare and the County of Sligo as areas of intensive eradication. We will also take the area immediately adjoining the parish of Bansha in West Tipperary. The reason we elected to pursue the matter in that area, in addition to the two other counties I mentioned, is that we had a gratifying measure of success in a pilot scheme which was launched in that parish in the year 1949. I think we could claim that we reduced the incidence of T.B. in the herds of that parish from about 40 odd per cent. to below 18 per cent. and we think it would be a pity to abandon that degree of progress. Accordingly, we propose to extend the Bansha scheme to each parish adjoining the parish of Bansha and, in addition, to the parishes in East Limerick which adjoin these adjoining parishes. I hope before my statement is concluded to be in a position to furnish Deputies with the actual names of the parishes which will constitute this island area which will be an area of concentrated activity in the campaign for the elimination of bovine T.B.
I should mention for the information of Deputy Walsh, who has just come into the House, that we are dealing with the question of the eradication of bovine T.B. I have said that we propose to initiate a scheme on the 1st September in the Counties of Sligo and Clare and that we propose to deal with an area of the parishes adjoining the parish of Bansha and the parishes in East Limerick which adjoin these adjoining parishes, the names of which I hope to be able to give the House before I sit down.
In addition to these, we hope to provide facilities on a voluntary basis for individual farmers or groups of farmers anywhere in the country who would wish to collaborate with the Department of Agriculture in advancing their own farm or groups of farms to attested status. I am not in a position to announce to-day all the details of the scheme as it will apply but would hope that I will be in a position to publish these in ample time to inform the public generally of the details of the methods by which we propose to proceed.
I have asked the collaboration of all voluntary bodies in the area to help in doing the job. I have the assurance of Macra na Feirme and Muintir na Tíre that they will do all in their power to expedite the achievement of the purpose we have in mind. I want to say also how glad I am that I believe we have the enthusiastic and unqualified support of the veterinary profession in the country for the effective prosecution of this campaign. Without it, it would be virtually impossible to achieve success. With it, I do not doubt we shall be able to make rapid and effective progress towards the end we have in mind which is, ultimately, the complete eradication of bovine T.B. as an animal disease in this country.
As the House is aware, last week we initialled an agreement with the American Ambassador for the use of the Marshall Aid Grant Counterpart Fund, details of which were supplied in a parliamentary answer in this House last week and, as soon as that has received Congressional approval, we may proceed with the schemes to be financed under that head.
First amongst such schemes the Government would put the establishment of the Institute of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Science and this we hope to erect as the fountain head of agricultural education in future in this country. We believe that it can be made something worthy of Ireland and we plan over the years to make it as good an institute of its kind as is to be found in any country in the world. I believe that we may legitimately claim, though in comparison with other countries we may be looked upon as relatively poor in material riches, that in regard to ability and intellectual capacity we have as rich a store of it available as any country of our size in the world and we would hope, availing of that and providing an institute where the native ability of our people will have full scope, to build an educational and research institute that will command the admiration of agriculture all the world over.
The names of the parishes adjoining Bansha which will be joined with the Bansha area for the purpose of bovine T.B. eradication are Galbally, Lattin, Oola and Solohead, Tipperary, Golden, New Inn and Cahir.
We hope to see the land rehabilitation project developed and expedited in the performance of its work. How best to achieve that end will take some inquiry and examination of the situation as I find it, but the House may rest assured that every effort will be exhausted to make the land rehabilitation project operate as efficiently and as rapidly as all the circumstances will allow.