I move:
That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft:
Pigs and Bacon Act, 1935 (Part II) (No. 4) Regulations, 1973, and Agricultural Produce (Fresh Meat) Act 1930 (Exporters Licences) (Fees) Regulations, 1973
copies of which were laid in draft before the 1st day of February 1973.
The purpose of these regulations is to implement a provision of the agreement reached in 1972 between my Department, the meat trade organisations and An Foras Talúntais, whereby the collection of certain fees from the trade since the second half of 1963 as a contribution for research projects, would be terminated with effect from the end of the year 1968 and a number of fees collected from some meat traders after that date would be returned to them. Under Sections 4 and 6 of the Agricultural Produce (Fresh Meat) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1954, the draft regulations require the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas before they are made.
The regulations originally made for the collection of these fees were approved by both Houses in December, 1963, to give effect to a request received at that time by my Department from the meat trade organisations concerned, namely the Irish Fresh Meat Exporters' Society, the Irish Bacon Curers' Society and the Beef Canners' Association. It was made clear at the time that no revenue would accrue to the State from these fees and that they would be paid over, plus an equivalent contribution from the Exchequer, for financing a meat research unit proposed by the trade. However, the trade organisations, for reasons of their own, shortly afterwards altered their views about proceeding with the research unit on the lines they had earlier intended; but they continued to be urged to co-operate with my Department and An Foras Talúntais in developing facilities, as originally agreed, for suitable research projects of an applied kind. The statutory fees introduced in 1964 continued to be collected for the purpose authorised but in 1969 the meat trade took a High Court action for return of the fees on the ground that the purpose for which they were collected had failed. Some meat traders also ceased paying the fees at that time.
The Court action was not successful and, while an appeal by the trade to the Supreme Court was pending, Deputy E. Collins raised the matter in the House on 1st December, 1971, stating that the trade would prefer to proceed with the research unit in accordance with the original intention. My predecessor indicated to the House on 15th December, 1971, that negotiations would be undertaken to see if some acceptable way out of the situation could be found. These negotiations resulted in a completely fresh agreement between my Department, the meat trade and An Foras Talúntais early in 1972.
This new agreement provided, inter alia, that the State would hold to the credit of the meat trade the research fees, amounting to £92,000 approximately, paid in respect of the period from 1st July, 1963, to 31st December, 1968, and that such fees as were paid by some meat traders after that date would be refunded to them.
I am glad to say that pursuant to the new agreement of 1972 a number of research projects have already been drawn up for implementation and I look forward to useful progress now being made in this sphere. Under the new agreement, the State will contribute to the cost of the meat trade research projects an amount up to the level of that contributed by the trade itself, subject to a maximum annual State contribution of £25,000 per annum. Also, the arrangements generally are to be reviewed at the end of three years by the parties to the agreement.
I, accordingly, ask the Dáil to approve the draft regulations now before the House, the effect of which is to reduce fees to the levels in operation prior to the second half of 1963 when increased fees for meat research were first introduced.