asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if adequate storage facilities exist in Ireland at present to cope with a situation in which beef would be selling into intervention.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Beef Sales.
139.
Adequate storage facilities have been available here for the beef being offered to intervention.
140.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries whether, in view of the steady weekly drop in prices for Irish beef cattle since 8th May, 1973, and unfair competition from third-country suppliers, he expects that Irish beef will be sold to intervention in 1973 or early in 1974.
Since 16th October a limited quantity of Irish beef has been sold to intervention. I would regard this as very temporary due to the seasonal trend in cattle prices.
Does the Minister accept the implication in the question of unfair competition from third-country suppliers?
This is something on which I think it is no harm to comment. We are operating a scheme that has been negotiated and agreed in the Treaty of Accession, and when we look, as I have looked very strongly, for a derogation from the terms of the treaty, I am told I am asking the EEC to renegotiate the Treaty of Accession. It certainly hits us very badly, and the outcome of our last negotiation was a reduction of £22 approximately per ton in the levy on the export of beef to the Continent.
Do I take it that at the end of the transitional period in the EEC, this unfair competition will cease?
Yes, it is gradually disappearing.
141.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the differences in the average weekly prices for beef in Ireland and France over the past six months, week by week.
The EEC price reporting system in the beef sector relates to the prices of live cattle. I, therefore, give the information sought by the Deputy in these terms and as the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
Average Market Price for Adult Cattle.
|
Week Ending |
Ireland (£/live cwt.) |
France (£/live cwt.) |
|
2nd May, 1973 |
18.25 |
23.28 |
|
9th May, 1973 |
18.32 |
23.27 |
|
16th May, 1973 |
18.06 |
23.28 |
|
23rd May, 1973 |
17.68 |
23.12 |
|
30th May, 1973 |
17.19 |
22.98 |
|
6th June, 1973 |
17.17 |
22.94 |
|
13th June, 1973 |
17.01 |
22.98 |
|
20th June, 1973 |
16.97 |
22.94 |
|
27th June, 1973 |
16.75 |
22.69 |
|
4th July, 1973 |
16.40 |
22.23 |
|
11th July, 1973 |
16.13 |
21.91 |
|
18th July, 1973 |
16.27 |
21.78 |
|
25th July, 1973 |
16.03 |
21.44 |
|
1st August, 1973 |
16.09 |
21.66 |
|
8th August, 1973 |
16.13 |
21.84 |
|
15th August, 1973 |
16.20 |
21.82 |
|
22nd August, 1973 |
16.28 |
21.76 |
|
29th August, 1973 |
16.18 |
21.68 |
|
5th September, 1973 |
15.88 |
21.64 |
|
12th September, 1973 |
15.80 |
21.55 |
|
19th September, 1973 |
15.82 |
21.44 |
|
26th September, 1973 |
16.02 |
21.52 |
|
3rd October, 1973 |
15.87 |
21.54 |
|
10th October, 1973 |
15.59 |
21.60 |
|
17th October, 1973 |
15.50 |
21.56 |
|
24th October, 1973 |
15.26 |
21.57 |
|
31st October, 1973 |
15.22 |
21.57 |
142.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries whether he favours the inclusion of dairy cattle in payments for livestock units in the proposed EEC hill farm aids.
The answer is "Yes".