asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the future position of beet growing and processing in the West of Ireland and in the country generally in the context of EEC membership.
53.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sugar Beet Production.
52.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if, with regard to the outcome of the negotiations on an acceptable sugar quota for Ireland, he will state how the advantages for outweigh the disadvantages with respect to agriculture in the EEC; and if he is satisfied that the present quota permits a programme of expansion in this industry.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 53 together.
Our basic quota of 150,000 metric tons of sugar together with the supplementary quota of up to 50,000 tons will enable Irish sugar production from home-grown beet to be maintained in EEC conditions at a level which will supply not less than our home and export markets for sugar. Expansion opportunities in the industry will largely depend on whether the EEC discontinue national quotas after 1975.
The Sugar Company have been prepared to contract for a greater acreage of beet west of the Shannon than has been taken up there and I hope that in the future western growers will take full advantage of their opportunities.
The advantages for Irish agriculture in the EEC are dealt with in the White Paper just issued on "The Accession of Ireland to the European Communities".
Would the Minister guarantee that the beet growers will have the same acreage and conditions as they had last year?
I see no reason why the price and the acreage of last year could not be maintained.
Could the Minister indicate approximately the price for the 150,000 ton quota and the price for the 50,000 ton supplementary quota in £s per ton of sugar?
Mr. Gibbons
In the coming year?
The present Irish price and the Community price for the two quotas.
The Deputy wants to compare the EEC prices——
The present Irish price, the current EEC price for the basic quota and the current EEC price for the supplementary quota.
Those are a series of figures I have not got with me, but the pricing of sugar beet in the EEC and here vary quite considerably in that the arrangements for the disposal of pulp and the delivery of sugar beet are on a different basis altogether. Therefore, a straight comparison of the price of a ton of sugar or sugar beet here and there would not give the Deputy any valuable information. You would have to consider such facts as that in some of the EEC countries part of the pricing arrangement is that sugar beet pulp is delivered back to the producer in a wet condition and counted as part of the payment for his crop.
I accept what the Minister says in regard to sugar beet but not in regard to sugar. It is precisely because of this sort of differences and the difficulties of making valid comparisons that I asked this question. If I put down a question about it will the Minister try to get his officials to give some sort of comparison of the different components of price?
If the Deputy asks for specific information I can assure him he will get it.
54.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries in respect of EEC sugar quotas (a) whether the basic quota of plus 18 per cent of the 1960-1965 average production for EEC countries was exceeded in the case of Belgium and Italy and for what amount and for what reason; (b) the quota allowed to other applicants and the basis on which it was calculated; (c) the supplementary quotas, if any, allowed to other countries including members and applicants; (d) if the EEC financial aid towards the supplementary quota is related to the percentage aid towards the basic quota provided by the EEC; (e) if this country is entitled to supplement the EEC financial help towards the supplementary quota to bring the total help level to that provided in the basic quota; (f) if the Australian quota will lapse at the end of the transitional period; and (g) if any arrangements have been made for the post-transitional period.
The reply is in the form of an itemised statement which with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
(a) When the EEC sugar production quotas were fixed in 1967 Italy and Belgium/Luxembourg were allowed basic quotas which exceeded by approximately 30 per cent and 40 per cent respectively the average production of sugar in those countries in the years 1961-1965; the average excess for the Community as a whole was about 12 per cent. The quotas were fixed in negotiations between the member states and no specific reasons for the excesses were published.
(b) Denmark—290,000 metric tons of white sugar; this quota represents average Danish production in the years 1961-65 plus about 12 per cent or in the years 1965-69 plus about 3 per cent.
Britain—900,000 metric tons of white sugar. This quota which represents British production in the years 1965-70 was negotiated in conjunction with the arrangements for continuation of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement.
Norway—Nil.
(c) 35 per cent in the case of the present member states, Denmark and Ireland. Britain is not being allowed any supplementary quota and the question of such a quota does not arise in the case of Norway.
(d) The EEC financial aid (e.g. intervention buying and support on exports to third countries) is available both for sugar produced under the basic quota and for sugar produced under the supplementary quota. A production levy (which is variable but is subject to a maximum) must be paid to the Community on any sugar produced under the supplementary quota.
(e) Under the EEC Sugar Regulations this country will not be entitled to subsidise sugar production after accession to the Community.
(f) The arrangements for the importation of Australian sugar into the UK are due to terminate at the end of 1974.
(g) The national quota system in the Community is expressed to end on 1st July, 1975. The current arrangements for imports into the UK under the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement are due to end in 1974.
55.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the annual beet sugar production in the Republic over the past decade.
As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
|
Year |
Production of Beet Sugar (Long Tons) |
|
1960-61 |
120,407 |
|
1961-62 |
114,638 |
|
1962-63 |
124,552 |
|
1963-64 |
131,422 |
|
1964-65 |
128,703 |
|
1965-66 |
106,563 |
|
1966-67 |
101,037 |
|
1967-68 |
131,642 |
|
1968-69 |
147,178 |
|
1969-70 |
135,713 |
|
1970-71 |
138,659 |
|
1971-72 |
170,000 |
|
(Estimated) |