asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if the Cork office of the Dairy Disposal Company Limited has now issued an instruction to the managers of its different creamery groups that as and from 1st August next they will have to confine the purchase of all animal feedingstuffs to one particular concern; and, if so, if he is aware that it is felt that redundancy and closures of certain plants will result.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Animal Feedingstuff Purchases.
78.
I understand from the Dairy Disposal Company that, in the interests of their milk suppliers who purchase requisites from them, the company has awarded a contract for the delivery of animal feedingstuffs to its creameries in County Kerry, following the invitation of quotations from that and adjacent counties. I am not aware of any basis for the suggestion in the second part of the question, especially as the firm securing the contract was already a substantial supplier to the company.
Would the Minister ask the Dairy Disposal Company to reconsider this matter especially in view of Question No. 85 by Deputy McEllistrim about the unemployment position in Tralee town and the Castleisland area where there are two big plants producing these feedingstuffs? There is a danger of unemployment and redundancy and even of complete close-down in these plants if the contracts are to be confined to one company. Question No. 85 on the Order Paper raises a very serious question about the employment position in the Tralee/Castleisland area where these two plants operate. Would the Minister take the matter up with the company and have it reconsidered?
I have no doubt that Deputy Spring will take up the subject matter of Question No. 85 with the appropriate Minister but for my part I look on it as important that the Dairy Disposal Company should seek to find the cheapest and best animal feed for their farmers.
These two firms have been supplying this feed for many years and there was never any complaint about it. Is the Minister satisfied to let competition go by the board and that this individual can now control the whole Dairy Disposal Company in Munster?
On the contrary, the Deputy's suggestion that competition is going by the board is completely without foundation. A large number of people were asked for quotations about the supply of animal-feed to the Dairy Disposal Company. Twelve firms from Counties Kerry, Cork, Limerick and Clare were asked for quotations but only six of these replied.