andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Agriculture whether the British Government have given any notification as to whether they propose to restrict imports of Irish bacon into Britain.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - British Imports of Irish Bacon.
47.
The answer is no.
May we take it that the Minister has safeguarded the position in respect of exports of bacon so as to ensure that the same flaw is not available in the 1938 or 1948 Trade Agreements that would allow our bacon exports to be cut on the same basis as our butter exports?
I do not want to be smart, but I cannot detect any resemblance in that supplementary to the Question on the Order Paper.
May I ask the Minister whether the 1948 Trade Agreement safeguards us against a repetition in the case of bacon exports of what has happened in the case of butter exports?
The 1948 Trade Agreement is there for the Deputy to peruse and interpret.
Surely the Minister is there to assure the public and the bacon producers that they are not going to——
The Deputy is asking about the 1948 Trade Agreement, not the producers.
Surely the Minister realises that the Agreement is going to have an effect on the producers if it is going to limit their exports?
I am referring the Deputy to the 1948 Agreement.
May we take it that the 1948 Trade Agreement has not the same flaw as regards bacon that it has as regards butter?
The Deputy voted for the 1948 Trade Agreement.
The Minister has been there since 1952 and he has never discovered this flaw.