asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the number of sows slaughtered at bacon factories in the six months periods 1st October to 31st March in 1972-73 and in 1973-74.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sow Slaughterings.
21.
The number of sows slaughtered at bacon factories here in the period 1st October, 1972, to 31st March, 1973, was 33,113. The number slaughtered in the corresponding period of 1973-74 was 65,659.
Does the Minister look on this with alarm considering the fact that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach, in reply to Question 1, stated that the total breeding herd was 2,000 more in December, 1973, than the year before? Now there are 32,000 more slaughtered and that leaves the herd depreciating by 30,000. What plans has he for the people who are going out of business and for the unemployment which will result in the bacon factories?
The Deputy is assuming that these were all slaughtered since the December count. This is not true.
The position is getting worse.
Order, please.
A substantial number of sows are being slaughtered here which come from the North of Ireland. I am not suggesting that the slaughterings are not in excess of the normal slaughterings because they are. The pig industry is going through a very difficult period and this always happens at such a time.
The point is that they are not being replaced.
The Minister said that the pig industry is going through a difficult period. Would he now say whether he was wise in making the statement attributed to him last week-end when he advised farmers to get out of pigs.
I did not advise them to get out of pigs. I am glad that the Deputy has given me the opportunity of saying this. When the people who were concerned with this situation came to see me I placed the facts before them and told them to use their judgment as to what they should do in the circumstances.
In other words, to get out.
The Minister is probably aware that all the newspapers reported him alarmingly as advising farmers to get out of pigs.
I contradicted them.
(Interruptions.)
Order, please. I call on the Parliamentary Secretary to read the answer to Question No. 22.
How does the Minister reconcile the statement that pigs are coming from across the Border with a newspaper report published recently that the traffic in pigs is the other way?
I can only give Deputies the information which is supplied to me. This traffic has been going on for many years.
It has been said that this traffic is going in the other direction.
The Deputy knows that the pig situation is, if anything, worse in the North than it is here.
It could not be.