asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the reason for the delay in the issue of payments to meat factories in respect of intervention beef; and the steps he proposes to take to remedy the position.
4.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Intervention Beef Payments.
3.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the sums of money due to each meat factory in respect of intervention beef at 31st March, 1974.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.
The total amount due to meat factories on 31st March, 1974, in respect of purchases of intervention beef was £2.6 million. Of this £2.3 million has since been paid and the balance is in course of payment. It is not the practice to publish any information which might be regarded as confidential in the case of individual firms.
The large amount of beef being sold to intervention caused some delay in making payments but there should be no undue delay in making future payments.
Would the Minister state when the £2.3 million was paid?
Since 31st March.
When?
I cannot give day and date for the payment of each individual amount but it has been paid since 31st March.
It took a Parliamentary Question to have it paid out.
Was the sum in question paid since the Parliamentary Question was put down?
That is not true and the Deputy knows it.
Question No. 3 specifically asked the reason for the delay in payment and I did not catch anything in the Minister's reply relating to that question.
We had some difficulty in getting the necessary staff together initially. We have now got the organisation working and we now can ensure that people will be paid within three weeks. I have given that assurance to the trade.
Can the Minister tell us whether, as a result of the new arrangement made by the Commission in Brussels for the uptake of intervention beef from the stores, there will now be a freer flow of cattle into intervention in the Irish market at present?
I suggest that there would be less need for intervention. I hope the market will harden sufficiently to make intervention unnecessary arising out of the measures being taken.