asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries whether any costings or statistical evidence is available to support the claim that the proposed reorganisation circulated by the IAOS would, in fact, benefit the dairying industry.
53.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Reorganisation of Dairy Industry.
52.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries on what basis the proposed grouping of creameries was drawn up.
54.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries whether his Department have accepted the IAOS proposals.
55.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he can state what advantages from reorganisation will accrue to milk suppliers in the areas covered by groups 18 and 19 in the IAOS scheme.
56.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will make a statement on the merits of federation as opposed to amalgamation as a method of rationalising the creamery industry.
57.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if there is, as yet, any indication of the reaction of creamery societies to the proposed creamery reorganisation scheme circulated by the IAOS.
58.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the estimated cost of implementing the proposed creamery reorganisation scheme; and how it is intended to finance it.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 52 to 58 together.
The case for a sound and rational reorganisation of the creamery industry is set out in the Report of the Survey Team on the Dairy Products Industry which was presented to this House on 2nd April, 1963.
The plan recently issued by the IAOS illustrates a possible from of reorganisation of the industry. It is being discussed at the Society's regular regional conferences and has yet to be discussed by individual creamery societies.
I do not think it would be appropriate at this stage to add any further comments to what I said in reply to the question asked by the Deputy on 23rd February.
Is the Minister aware that the main criticism levelled at the IAOS document is the fact that it suggests revolutionary proposals for re-organising the industry but does not contain one item of factual information or concrete evidence in respect of these proposals? The dairy farmers are, in fact, being asked to agree to something which could really be a step in the dark.
I am not so aware, but if we could get a good, sound, rational re-organisation of the structure of the creamery industry, nobody would stand to benefit more than the individual creamery milk supplier.
The problem is that there are a number of obvious questions which creamery committee members are now asking arising out of this document and there is no information. The questions I tabled were designed to obtain that information. For example, with regard to costing, what will it cost?
The IAOS have put forward what is, in their view, one possible form of re-organisation. That plan is being discussed at regional conferences. It will ultimately be discussed by the individual societies. Any question the Deputy or anybody else wishes to ask can be asked either at the regional conferences or in the subsequent discussions.
Would the Minister ask the IAOS to furnish more detailed information in respect of each of the particular groups that have been suggested so that when discussions are being held, people will know what it all means?
The Deputy himself can ask. He is in as good a position to do so as I am.