asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will identify by export list number and quantify the benefits in additional exports to the UK deriving directly from the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement in the year 1968, and which could not have been achieved but for the signature of this Agreement, specifying in each case the clause of the Agreement which has made possible these increases in exports.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Trade Agreement Benefits.
11.
As indicated in the White Paper published when the Free Trade Area Agreement was signed, the main direct agricultural benefits to Ireland from the agreement relate to improved access to the British market and to participation in the British price support system. As regards improved access, total agricultural exports to the UK increased from £88.2 million in 1965 to £126.5 million in 1968. Among these were butter which went up from £6.4 million to £8.8 million and cheese which increased from £2.1 million to £5.6 million. As regards participation in the British price support system the value of exports of the commodities affected (i.e. store cattle, sheep and lambs and carcase beef and lamb) increased from £42.2 million in 1965 to £72.7 million in 1968.
The lower levels of exports which could only have been achieved under various heads on the hypothetical basis indicated by the Deputy would not, of course, be capable of realistic computation.
May I ask the Minister whether what he is in fact saying is that the Government do not know what benefits have flowed directly from the agreement which would not otherwise have accrued, because most of the benefits to which he has referred specifically are benefits that would have accrued to us whether or not the agreement had been signed? May I ask him if it is the case that no estimate has been made of what benefits, if any, the agreement has brought directly which could not have accrued to us otherwise?
I think the trend indicated by the figures is quite substantial evidence of the direct benefits accruing from the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement.
The trend indicated by the figures is largely the sectoral trend which was there before the agreement was signed.
I dispute that.
The Minister has given us no information as to what clause of the agreement has been responsible for increases, if any, which would not otherwise have occurred.
The Deputy, as usual, is engaging in hypothetical reasoning. I am giving the Deputy the facts.