asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will extend the lamb subsidy to ewes for the coming year to offset the drop in the price of wool and the serious loss to sheepbreeders.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Lamb Subsidy.
28.
I will not decide on any changes in the mountain lamb subsidy scheme until I have had an opportunity to examine the results of this year's scheme.
Would the Minister not now admit that this year the farmers received at least 2/- per lb less for their wool, causing a drop in their incomes of from 10/- to 20/- per sheep?
One of the things I would admit is that from the mountain sheep subsidy, they collected about £140,000 more than they got last year.
Will the Minister tell us what they lost this year on wool?
If between now and next week, the Deputy wishes to do a calculation in terms of the prices received for lambs, sheep, hoggets, wethers and ewes, and put in the wool prices, plus the subsidy, he will find that it will probably come out on the right side as against last year.
Ten years ago when Deputy Dillon was Minister for Agriculture, farmers were getting from 6/-to 8/- per lb for their wool but this year they are getting from 2/- to 2/10d per lb; lambs were then sold for £8 to £11 but this year they are being sold for £4 to £7. Ten years ago hoggets and wethers were sold for £8 to £12 10s while this year they are being sold for £6 to £8 10s or £9. Surely the Minister knows those figures as well?
Is that the year in which the Coalition were pulling the wool over the eyes of the public?
The Minister is trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the public but he will not get away with it.
Apparently there is not any.