asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if it will be open to Ireland after EEC membership to produce Grana Pedano and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses and thereby qualify for EEC intervention prices for these products.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cheese Production.
78.
The EEC intervention arrangements for these cheeses apply only in Italy which, unlike the other EEC countries, uses only a small proportion of its milk supply for the production of butter.
Would the Minister agree that this sort of arrangement, which confines payments of guaranteed EEC prices to one country, is discriminatory and out of line with the normal policy of the EEC and is something about which he should make vigorous representations?
I am not aware that it is as the Deputy says. If it were and if it were demonstrable that this particular arrangement worked towards the distortion of the trade, a complaint would naturally be made.
Is the Minister aware that creamery suppliers in this country are very concerned that there is no floor price for cheese where there are floor prices for other products? The Italians are the only people who are able to get floor prices for cheese.
These are very specialised products and it would be a mistake for the dairy industry to approach the general question of marketing of cheese with intervention prices and floor prices in mind. We should aim at the target prices because we will be selling a quality product and we would hope not only to get the intervention price but to get the full target price.