asked the Minister for Agriculture what steps he proposes to take to safeguard the employment of those who have been laid off their employment in the meat factories.
18.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment in Meat Factories.
17.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will make a statement with regard to the laying-off of workers in the meat processing factories; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy the matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose taking Questions Nos. 17 and 18 together.
There is normally at the present time of year a seasonal decline in the activities of meat export premises, because of lower marketings of cows and finished cattle. At one time the premises handling cows closed down completely during the late spring and early summer and at least one of the largest premises still does so. It is nothing new therefore for the meat export premises to reduce employment seasonally at this period.
During the first eight weeks of this year, slaughterings of cows and other cattle and also slaughterings of sheep and lambs were above those for the corresponding period last year. The carcase meat trade has, of course, expanded considerably in the last few years and total exports of beef and mutton and lamb in 1963 were also above those for 1962 and little short of the exceptionally high level reached in 1961 when the export price guarantee arrangements for fat cattle and beef, associated with the Bovine TB Eradication Scheme, were in operation.
The meat export trade, in the ordinary course, has had to compete for supplies with the livestock export trade. This must be regarded as in the general interest, particularly in the interest of producers, and fluctuations as between exports in the live and carcase form are to be expected from time to time according to trade conditions. At present, there is a strong export demand for store cattle and live cows and this fact has to be faced. Unlike store cattle, live cows are not eligible for any guarantee payments under the British Fatstock Subsidy Scheme.
I have recently received representations from the meat export trade about this matter and I have arranged that officers of my Department will discuss the various aspects of the present position as regards livestock and meat exports at a meeting tomorrow with representatives of the meat export trade, the livestock export trade and farmers organisations.
Is the Minister now suggesting that a great deal of the meat processing business is only being carried out at certain times of the year in view of the fact that at the moment the plants are not being utilised to anything like full capacity? In the light of the Minister's statement that there is a high price abroad at the moment for store cattle and also a high demand in Continental countries for our beef, surely the logical end of this is going to be that the meat processing trade will go down and that the country will be depending completely on the live cattle export trade which——
That is an argument not a question.
It is logical——
It may be, but it is an argument and it is not a question seeking information.
—— that this country will be the centre for store cattle alone without giving due regard to the excellent industrial employment given in the meat processing industries. Would the Minister, in those circumstances, not consider that in order to safeguard both aspects of the livestock industry, meat processing and the live cattle trade, that a special meat marketing board should be set up that would do something like what the Sugar Company is now doing in regard to fruit and vegetables,——
The Deputy may not continue to make a speech.
——explore markets in Britain and elsewhere for the products of our meat factories?
I am merely giving the facts as I find them and the facts are that slaughterings in 1964 were higher than in 1963 for the two months, January-February taken together. I have also mentioned that it has been customary at this season to find a slackness in this business. I also mentioned the competitive side and referred to the fact that from the point of view of the producer this competition is a useful thing. I should like to say that when in 1957-58 a marketing committee was set up, representative of all the interests concerned, to advise the Government on agricultural marketing and presided over by the former President of the NFA, Dr. Greene, a firm recommendation was made by that body, after they had examined the whole position regarding the cattle trade, that there should be no interference with its activities.
Is it a fact that the British farmer is now taking advantage of the dead meat trade on the Continent, that he is buying his stores from the Irish farmer to do this and that we are getting caught up in his vicious triangle?
As long as the British farmer is taking a large number of store cattle from us, as he has been doing during the past two or three months, at increasingly high prices, I do not see that the producers here have any cause for complaint.
In the hope of disabusing the Minister's mind of the belief that this is normal redundancy in the meat processing trade, I should like to tell him that at present there are hundreds of workers being laid off indefinitely as a result of the present situation, with no likelihood of their being reinstated. Will the Minister see what he can do about the possibility of these workers being reinstated? I would point out to him that this is not normal redundancy, that there is a crisis in the meat processing trade because of which hundreds of workers have lost their jobs and that this has caused much privation in homes in towns such as mine.
The Deputy is now making a speech
I am just as anxious as the Deputy is to maintain employment here if it is possible, but it is true to say that in this season each year——
Do not regard this as normal redundancy.
I have the figures. I am not talking hot air. I know the amount of unemployment there has been recently, that it is greater than last year, but I have said, and it is true, that there always has been, even last year and in previous years, a certain number of workers laid off. I have, however, another function here: I have to deal with what is one of the most important businesses or industries in the country and the steps I may take on recommendations made to me will be examined very thoroughly, far more thoroughly than the examination given by those who make the recommendations.
Has the Minister the figures of the number of workers laid off during the past three years, including this year? The Sunday Press for the 1st March suggested the figure of 1,000.
It would be 500 or 600 this year as against 300 to 400 last year.
And the year before?
I cannot allow this to go on.
Is it not the big trouble that any person interested in the business here must go to the continent——
The Deputy is talking nonsense.
In very good company.
He has not the faintest idea of this business.
We make a nice brace.