asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if, having regard to the finalisation of proposals for the February, 1976 price review by the EEC, he will make a statement on the proposals for (a) the dairy sector (b) the beef sector (c) pigmeat and (d) cereals, for Irish farmers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price Review.
27.
The price proposals for 1976-77 have not yet been presented by the Commission. When they come before the Council of Ministers, it will, of course, be my aim to ensure a level of prices which will give an adequate return to Irish farmers.
Can the Minister give, in particular to dairy producers, some indication of what the prospects are for the coming year having regard to the fact that there is more than one million tons of dried skim milk powder in intervention stores?
Naturally the existence of this one million tons will not help in getting any substantial increase for milk producers.
That is a platitude. Could the Minister not give an indication of what the percentage price increase will be?
No, I cannot make a shot at it and I do not want to do so.