asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the means which he considers the meat industry should employ to comply with his exhortation to get out and sell while monetary compensatory amounts remain.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meat Industry.
25.
Monetary compensatory amounts on exports of beef to non-UK destinations were substantially reduced last October and again last month. There is a net monetary amount payable on our beef exports to Britain. Last month also the accession compensatory charges and custom duties on our beef exports to the Continent were reduced. Over recent weeks commercial beef markets in Britain and on the Continent moved strongly upwards.
In these circumstances I do not think there is any reason why those beef export factories who are still putting the bulk of their cattle slaughterings into intervention should not, as a number of other factories have already been doing, exploit the commercial opportunities to the maximum, especially at this stage of the season. This is also very much in the long-term interest of the factories themselves and in the national interest.
Surely the Minister will accept that the export of fresh or chilled meat to the Continent of Europe is practically negligible and that if the revaluation of the green £ had any value its main value would have been to provide access to the mainland market which it has not done? Why did the Minister think it necessary to tell the House why the transitional compensatory amounts were reduced in February when they are reduced every February and will be until 1978?
That is part of the Treaty arrangement.
Does the Minister not agree that exports of either live or dead meat to the mainland of Europe is not happening and the £50 million bonanza he and his officials spoke of last October did not occur?
I do not agree that it is not happening; it is happening to a limited extent. We got considerable advantages from the reduction in the representative rate in the £ on the two occasions. We received substantial advantages and if we did not why was it that the Deputy was pressing so hard to get this?
Does the Minister recall that the Fianna Fáil representation in the European Parliament voted against the partial devaluation because it was only a partial devaluation? The proof of the matter is that we have no export market to the Continent worth a damn.
I was amazed when I saw that the Fianna Fáil delegation voted against what was a reduction from 15 per cent to 3 per cent.
And we will do it again.