asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the total quantity of butter exported in the year ended 31st March, 1955, indicating the price per cwt. and the cost in subsidy to the Exchequer.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Butter Exports.
The total quantity of butter of all descriptions exported during the year ended 31st March, 1955, was 98,086 cwt., valued at £1,850,509 or an average of 377/4 per cwt.
Subsidies were not payable on exports of non-creamery butter, Irish creamery butter exported by the manufacturing creameries and imported butter re-exported by the Butter Marketing Committee. Subsidies amounting to £231,882 were, however, payable in respect of 65,135 cwt. of Irish creamery butter exported by the Butter Marketing Committee during the year ended 31st March, 1955. These subsidies comprised: (a) £151,982 paid to creameries out of my Department's Vote for the year 1954-55 on sales of the butter to the Butter Marketing Committee; (b) production allowances of £9,770 paid to creameries out of the Dairy Produce (Price Stabilisation) Fund; and (c) £70,130 being the deficit incurred by the Butter Marketing Committee on the export of the butter, which amount will fall due for recoupment from the Vote for the year 1955-56.