asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is seeking any concession for Ireland to offset the recent sanction granted to Italy for the importation from Austria and other third countries of 250,000 feeder cattle which will have a detrimental effect in respect of export prospects for Ireland to Italy.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Italian Cattle Imports.
2.
The EEC Commission decided two weeks ago to admit between May and September a quota of 67,500 head of young cattle, mainly for Italian feeders. My delegation voiced its very strong objections at the Council of Ministers' meeting last week to the resumption of any such cattle and beef imports into the Community while ample Community supplies are available and recourse to intervention purchases continues to be necessary.
The matter was taken to a vote at the Council meeting and the Commission's decision received majority support, Ireland and France voting against. I will of course pursue every effort to secure redress for any serious adverse effects which such decisions may involve for this country's vitally important cattle and beef export trade.
Arising out of the Minister's reply and with particular reference to the most recent announcement by the European Commission with regard to the further limitation of the intervention mechanism as it affects this country and having regard to the fact that in the next three months 67,500 young cattle from third countries will be imported into Italy for further feeding into beef that will compete with Irish beef in the European market and, incidentally and very importantly, will be brought to the beef status by multi-national oil companies in northern Italy, and while these multi-national oil companies——
A brief question, Deputy, please.
——are being facilitated, at one and the same time the biggest community beef producer of them all, ourselves, are denied access to the only protection we have got from these people——
I am afraid the Deputy is embarking upon a speech rather than putting specific brief supplementary questions.
I would just say to the Deputy that we have taken every step open to us to resist this and have been beaten by a majority vote of the Council of Ministers.
Could I not also ask the Minister if it is not a fact that as well as the 67,500 feeder cattle, a licence for the importation of 50,000 tons of frozen beef has been given at the same time?
That is true but the Deputy knows that this is given on the condition that a similar amount is exported from the Community to third countries, so that it will not have any significant effect. I would just say to the Deputy in relation to the requirement in Italy that Italy in two weeks alone imported 200,000 young cattle for this type of feeding from France.
That is intra-Community.
It is but that happened in two weeks, so that over a period of three months 67,500 would not be over-doing, although we protest as strongly as we can.
I am glad the Minister realises the serious effect that this will have on the country.
A question, please, Deputy.
Arising out of his reply, I am glad of the course the Minister has taken instead of putting a tariff on our cattle going to Italy.
That is not a question.
Is it not in practice impossible for Irish exporters to get cattle into any country except Italy because of the incidence that it creates? How then does the Commission argue that we are neither to have a practical outlet in the mainland of Europe itself nor now, it seems, in intervention? Where are we to sell our cattle?
The Deputy knows my feelings in relation to this. He knows the protest I have made. He knows that I have used every mechanism open to me to try to get the situation redressed.
Could I ask the Minister if he has any word of advice to beef producers for the next six months as to how to deal with this very serious situation? This will throw the cattle trade into chaos.
I do not accept that it will throw the cattle trade into chaos at all. I do not believe that these predictions are correct.
The Minister is always hopeful. He often says so.
I have been invariably right.
By your fruits they shall know you.