Vol. 253 No. 4
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if the increases in the rates of payment under the Carcase Beef and Lamb Export Guarantee Scheme, announced on 13th October, 1970, amounted as predicted by his Department to an increased burden of £1.35 million on the Irish Exchequer in the period up to the end of March, 1971.
53.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if the increases in the rates of payment under the Carcase Beef and Lamb Export Guarantee Scheme, announced on 1st April, 1970, amounted as then predicted by his Department to an increased burden of £¾ million on the Irish Exchequer during 1970-71.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 53 together.
If no increases had been made for the year 1970-71 in the guaranteed price levels that had applied in 1969-70 the total cost of the export support payments on the basis of the 1970-71 market prices would have been approximately £970,000. As a result of the increases made in the guaranteed price levels in April and October, 1971, the total actual cost of the support payments on exports in the year 1970-71 was approximately £3,550,000, of which approximately £910,000 fell to be met by the British Government and the balance of approximately £2,640,000 by the Irish Exchequer. It is estimated that the April and October increases cost the Irish Exchequer an extra £1,870,000 approximately as compared with the two predicted amounts totalling £2,100,000 referred to by the Deputy. It is not possible with the data available to show the actual cost of the two increases separately.
Would the Minister not agree that by putting out predictions of this nature which are subsequently proven to be exaggerated, and the Department are continuing to do this, the Department are doing a disservice to the agricultural industry by conveying the impression to the public that a great deal more support is being given at a particular time to the farming community than is in fact being given and that in doing so the Minister is weakening his own case in the Cabinet in seeking improvements for the agricultural community?
No, the contrary might equally be the case. It is impossible to forecast with any real accuracy the fluctuations of the market which have a bearing on this and the forecasts that are made are the best possible ones.
