asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he has been supplied with a specimen of an all-Irish loaf produced entirely from home-grown wheat of the 1957 harvest; what action he intends to take in the matter; and whether he will take steps to have such a loaf produced for sale.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - All-Irish Loaf.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he has satisfied himself from recent experiments that bread made from flour manufactured from home-grown wheat is satisfactory; and, if so, if he will consider altering the permitted grist to allow the use of flour milled entirely from home-grown wheat.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.
At my request the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards have undertaken an investigation to determine whether a palatable batch loaf of reasonable quality can be produced from flour made wholly or mainly from Irish wheat and, if so, whether any changes in milling and baking techniques would be required to enable such a loaf to be produced commercially. I have just received an interim report from the institute which I propose to place on the Table of the House and also to have put on sale.
The institute's investigation is continuing, but their interim findings are not vitiated by the results of the recent experimental production of an all-Irish loaf. It is clear that the whole question will require much further and detailed investigation of the technical and financial problems involved.
Does the interim report indicate that the all-Irish loaf is a feasible project?
The report gives a lot of technical information which Deputies will have to assimilate for themselves.
Did the Minister eat it himself?
The pan loaf sent to me was quite palatable but, of course, it is not a batch loaf.