asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he has taken steps to explore the possibility of marketing Irish livestock and livestock products in West Germany in view of the great potentiality for marketing such products in that country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Marketing of Irish Livestock and Livestock Products in West Germany.
20.
The market for Irish livestock and livestock products in West Germany has recently been investigated by the Advisory Committee on the Marketing of Agricultural Produce, whose findings are in their Report on the Export of Livestock and Meat, published last week.
Imports of livestock and meat into West Germany are subject to quota and in the negotiation of the annual Trade Agreement with the West German authorities every effort is made to secure the maximum import facilities for Irish livestock and meat.
Is the Minister aware that some people in West Germany have been anxious to obtain large imports of store cattle from Ireland? In view of the fact that, in the past six months, small farmers in the West of Ireland have been penalised by a lack of markets, will the Minister say what steps were taken in that period to secure an alternative market in Germany as an outlet for the cattle produced in the West of Ireland?
I have replied to the Deputy's question by saying that imports of livestock and meat into West Germany are subject to quota and in the negotiation of the annual Trade Agreement with the West German authorities every effort is made to secure the maximum import facilities for Irish livestock and meat.
What is the maximum?
Whatever efforts were made in connection with getting more livestock sold in Germany, will the Minister tell us what restrictions were placed by the Irish Government on the imports of goods from Germany as a result of the fact that the German Government refused to take our cattle?
That is an entirely different question.
That is a separate question.
Is it a fact that the Government have taken the view that it is better to protect importers here of cars and other items assembled within the State and imported from Germany rather than protect the interests of the producers in this State, namely, the farmers, by getting them a market for their products? If it is good enough for the Germans to refuse to accept our cattle, we should be entitled to refuse to accept their cars.
The Deputy is making a speech.
The Government determine these questions on the basis of——
Reciprocal arrangement.
——of what is most advantageous to them, having done their best to secure the utmost facility in regard to the exportation of livestock and meat.
Surely the Minister agrees that there is only one market for livestock that is worth a damn, that is the British market?
That is a separate question.
Will the Minister tell us what is the maximum he mentioned?
Whatever the maximum is, it has been exhausted this year. I just cannot tell the Deputy exactly what it is at the moment.
Would I be right in saying that we buy about £9 million worth from the Germans and that they buy only about £3 million worth from us?
In the course of all these discussions with the Governments of other countries, all these factors are taken into account and the best possible arrangement is obtained. It is not always possible to secure an arrangement that is entirely satisfactory from our or from the Deputy's point of view, but Deputies can take it that the objective aimed at and struggled for very strenuously is to secure the widest and greatest possible facility from these countries for the export of our agricultural produce.
On that basis, the Minister cannot suggest that it is fair and equitable that the West Germans should be allowed to export £4 million worth of goods to Ireland for every £1 million worth we export to Germany.
Question No. 21.