asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware that drop calves are sold for as low as £3 per head in the south of Ireland; and what steps he proposes to take to rectify this situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Drop Calves.
27.
I am not so aware. According to the information available to my Department the general range of prices during January for calves under one month old was from about £6 to about £14 per head, top quality animals realising more than the latter figure. Inferior animals would of course realise less than the average.
The Minister is completely out of touch with what is happening in the agricultural industry. If he were to accompany me to marts in the south of Ireland today, he would find that I could put the figure in the question at £2 instead of £3.
The Deputy is making a speech and not asking a question.
Is the Minister aware that small cattle are unsaleable at the present time and that the Minister and his Government are jailing farmers today because they are on the verge of starvation?
This has nothing to do with the question on the Order Paper.
The Taoiseach should be man enough to declare an amnesty.
I cannot allow the Deputy to continue in this way. He must resume his seat. He is not asking a question.
He wants to be put out.
Farmers cannot sell their cattle today.
The Deputy is not asking a question. He will resume his seat or leave the House.
It is a well-known fact that decent farmers are being jailed because they cannot sell their cattle. The Minister does not know that calves are selling for £3 today. If he does not know it, he should not be in the position he is in here today.
The Deputy is asking you, Sir, to throw him out.
If he does not know it, he does not know the small farmers.
If the Deputy thinks I am going to oblige him by asking that he be removed from the House, he is making a mistake. I do not want to help him in that direction. I am asking the Deputy now to resume his seat.
If the Minister is not prepared to reply and if he tells us that he does not know that today in Ireland farmers are getting only £3 for suck calves, then he does not know his business.
The Deputy is deliberately seeking to be expelled. Will the Deputy resume his seat?
No, Sir.
The Deputy will not resume his seat?
No, Sir. There is a principle involved.
I am reluctantly compelled to name Deputy L'Estrange to the House for disobeying the ruling and direction of the Chair.