asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the action he proposes to take to have the latest EEC milk proposals amended.
6.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Milk Production.
5.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the steps he proposes to take to advise the family farmer, milking under 40 cows, to stay in milk, even though the EEC recommends paying him to get out of milk production for five years.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together.
It may be taken that all members of the Council of Ministers, myself included, will be straining every effort to have the present Commission proposals for the milk sector for 1976 modified along the lines which seem best to each of us. Further meetings of the Council will, of course, be necessary before any final package can be agreed upon.
As regards the proposed premium scheme for the non-marketing of milk, I think it is well understood that I am not in favour of this proposal in its present form. It is possible, however, that such a scheme if adopted in other member countries could be beneficial to the Community as a whole and even to Irish dairy interests in the long run, but I have no intention of advising any Irish milk producer who wants to remain in milk to get out of it.
Does the Minister accept that if this proposal were implemented it would mean the end of the road for many small milk producers?
It does not mean that all the producers up to the level mentioned would automatically have to get out of milk. The option would be there for them to do so and be compensated for it. I would hate to see such an inducement coming here.
What efforts are being made by the Department to advise people not to get out of milk? The people who are gearing themselves to increase their number of cows are worried at the moment, and I have told them it is the Minister's policy to tell them to stay in milk. I want the Department to say loudly and clearly that we want the small producers to stay in milk. Pigs and poultry are gone, and if milk goes it is the end of the road for the small farmer.
I have been saying that as loudly and clearly as possible over the past three years and I will continue saying that regardless of what is said in the EEC.
We at our end are doing our best to advise people to stay in milk, but since the statement was made in the Dáil I have not heard a word from the Minister or the Department. I know the Minister said "Hear, hear" to me when I was commenting on it, but I would like a pronouncement——
Could I dissuade Members from making speeches?
In almost every speech I make I refer to the importance of expanding milk production and of people who are not in it getting into it, particularly in the west where, I am glad to say, production increased by 13.5 per cent last year.