asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will make a statement on the recent discussions between French Government officials and officers of his Department on the subject of sheepmeat.
133.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Lamb Exports.
132.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the efforts that are being made to achieve a special arrangement for Irish lamb on the French market until such time as a market regulation is implemented.
134.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware of the French Government's decision to increase the threshold price and levy on lamb imports from Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose taking Questions Nos. 132, 133 and 134 together.
The recent discussions between French Government officials and officers of my Department and officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs arose from my earlier discussions with the French Minister for Agriculture on the question of improved access for Irish lamb on the French market. Deputy Gibbons will recollect that I informed him in reply to his question of 21st June of my talks with the French Minister and of the proposals I put to him for reduction of the import levy to the January level and for continuing access to the French market on the understanding that we would respect a minimum price.
The Minister was unable to agree to my proposals but he proposed the meeting of officials, which took place in the first week of July, to work out an arrangement whereby the objective in mind would be achieved in a different way. Regrettably the talks did not produce a solution to our problem.
In brief, while we stressed our claims as members of the EEC for favourable treatment in trade with fellow members, the impropriety of increasing import charges having regard to the provisions of the Treaties and our willingness to accept restraints on our exports of carcase lamb to France, the French officials took the view that they could not recommend any modification of their import regime which adversely could affect the interests of their sheep producers and that the solution to our problem lay in the earliest possible introduction, which both sides favour, of a common organisation of the market for sheep and lamb. They did offer to negotiate with us an import quota for store sheep but this did not appear to us to be a solution to our difficulties.
I have spoken to the French Minister in the last few days about this matter. He is at present considering the report of the meeting referred to above.
Is the Minister aware first of all that the failure of the Irish and French officials to come to any satisfactory agreement has had the result of a severe drop in the price of lambs throughout the country? Is he not also aware that the French attitude of introducing sluicegate prices in their domestic market is contrary to the spirit if not to the letter of the Treaty of Rome, and would he consider taking up with the Commission in Brussels as a matter of urgency this matter of the entry of Irish meat into France?
I have asked the legal people here to look at the legality of the action taken——
I do not denigrate the actions taken by the Minister, I know the Minister has been working very hard on this, but I suggest that he should take up with the Commission in Brussels as a matter of urgency the legality——
Perhaps the Deputy would allow the Minister to finish his reply.
I am certainly pursuing that angle and I am disappointed that the outcome has not been more satisfactory.
Now that we are in the EEC, and that we have been a good customer of France over the years, and that we know they have been known to close off their market with only a day's notice, would the Minister not try to make some arrangement with the French to end this practice of sudden close downs?
I have made every possible approach.
The Minister has done a great deal but could he do a little better? In my area we produce lambs and we produce calves. Both of these producers are hard hit.
I should like to tell Deputy Callanan that somebody from his area told me he sold 150 lambs yesterday for £15 a head.
I sold them——
I had three batches of lambs which I happened to hold on to and I sold them and I can assure you that the man who sold them at £15 each——
I have assured the Deputy that I am doing everything possible.
I am only asking the Minister to do a little more.