Vol. 257 No. 10
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will state the total savings to the exchequer which may be expected in respect of farming on entry to EEC and if he will itemize the various headings such as export support payments and internal subsidy payments on which this estimate is based.
43.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries what losses to the exchequer may be expected in respect of farming on entry to the EEC and if he will give details of such losses.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 43 together. Pending completion of the negotiations and finalising of the terms of accession it is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the total savings to the exchequer in respect of farming on entry to the EEC. It is not expected that there would be any appreciable losses in that respect. It is proposed to cover the exchequer implications of EEC membership in the White Paper which it is aimed to publish in January next.
Could the Minister not give a rough estimate?
I would prefer not to because the White Paper is due quite soon.
Will we have it before Christmas?
I told you, in January.
44.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if, in view of the fact that quota restrictions which apply in respect of butter, cheese and sugar will disappear on accession to the EEC, he will state why other items such as bacon are under negotiation.
45.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if the abolition of quota restrictions on accession to EEC is limited in the agricultural field to items for which there is a common agricultural policy.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 45 together. For those commodities for which there is a common organisation of the market, import quota restrictions in operation in any of the four applicant countries must, as in the countries of the existing Community, be abolished upon accession to the EEC in respect of both intra-Community trade and trade with nonmember countries. The common market organisation for pigs and pigment applies to bacon and the Community are currently in the process of clarifying some aspects of the application of the regulations concerned.
