asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if any quotas or restrictions will be imposed on the sale of dairy products in the EEC during the transitional period or afterwards.
43.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dairy Products and Grain.
42.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if any quotas or restrictions will be imposed on the sale of grain in the EEC during the transitional period or afterwards.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 43 together.
Apart from the proposed arrangements for compensatory amounts to take account of price differentials between Ireland and the other three applicant countries and between Ireland and the existing EEC member states during the transitional period, there will be no quotas or restrictions on Irish dairy products or Irish grain in the enlarged EEC during the transitional period or afterwards.
I take it that the Deputy does not have in mind restrictions which may be imposed on dairy products and grain exported to the EEC by countries outside the Community.
Does the Chair see what I mean? The Minister's reply makes no reference whatever to my supplementary question. May I now re-ask my supplementary which is as to whether the arrangement agreed by the EEC Council of Ministers to finance our farm price supports from 1973 onwards involves any limitation on our right to raise the price of milk either now or during the transitional period to whatever level we think appropriate?
I am not aware that it does.
Would the Minister be prepared to announce in the immediate future a programme of the price increase which is proposed for this period so that farmers may now get encouragement to start preparing to increase the output of milk now? One cannot increase the output of milk overnight, as the Minister must be aware.
The Government have this under constant review and I mentioned that in my original reply to the question.
Is the Minister going to announce the programme for milk price increases for the years ahead or not?
The milk producers will be kept fully informed of developments as they occur.
Informed of what?
Developments as they occur.
Would the Minister translate? In other words the answer is "No, the Minister is not proposing to announce price increases".
In view of the fact that the targets for milk production set out in the Third Programme have not been achieved would the Minister not agree, in the light of his answer to this question about the absence of restrictions on quantity going into Britain or the Six, that the circumstances now call for measures to increase Irish milk production rapidly?
Hear, hear.
Would he not further agree that the only way to do this is by putting the price up?
I do not accept that there has been any dramatic failure to reach the target set in the Third Programme. The anticipated production of milk in the Third Programme for Economic Development was 550 million gallons and the figure we are likely to reach, based on current estimates, is 540 million gallons this year.
I am calling Question No. 44.
Can the Minister say why, if it is now the position that no matter how high is the price of our milk the cost of financing exports will be borne by the Community for 1973, he does not now announce increases in the price of milk? Is there some catch about which we have not been told?
This is the idea that the Deputy seems to be seeking to implant in people's minds but I doubt if it will be acceptable because, as I have told the House——
The Deputy is for the Community. The Minister is mixing us up.
Could you blame me?
Can the Minister say why he will not now increase the price of milk?
We cannot discuss this question all evening.