asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the steps he proposes to take to ensure a steady flow of fat cattle to meat plants over the next three weeks.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meat Plants Cattle Supply.
5.
While there should be no significant change in total supplies of finished cattle over the next few weeks, producers, meat factories and exporters of live cattle are undoubtedly keeping a close watch on the price-fixing discussions at present taking place in the Council of Ministers in Brussels and developments in those discussions will obviously have a bearing on the supplies coming on the market.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that it is a very bad time when so many of these cattle are coming on the market to have this confusion following the withdrawal of the slaughter premium and an interim period between that and the introduction of the EEC farm prices?
The slaughter premium was withdrawn by direction of the Commission on 29th February, as I said in reply to an earlier question. The Commission said that individual countries could continue it for two further weeks if they so decided. The Department did not decide to do so because we felt it would be unfair at present to ask Irish taxpayers to subsidise cattle to the extent of £15.04 per head for the first two weeks of March in view of prices obtaining for cattle generally. The anticipated position, judging by the performance in January and February is that the supply of cattle to meat plants this year will be somewhat similar in number to that in 1974. We had a marked increase in 1975. Our anticipations are that we shall run at an average of about 17,000 head per week being supplied to factories.
Question No. 6.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that it would eliminate——
The Ceann Comhairle has called the next question.
(Interruptions.)
I will allow a final supplementary. I want the co-operation of both sides of the House to make appreciable progress. There are questions on the Order Paper other than those appertaining to Agriculture and Fisheries. We are making little progress.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that it would eliminate confusion in the minds of people who have these cattle ready for slaughter if the Department would make an announcement that the farm prices would be retrospective to 1st March?
No, I do not think so. There would be no justification for it. I am sure if the Minister were here he would make a similar statement. There is no justification at present for asking the Irish taxpayer to subsidise cattle for the first fortnight in March.
The Irish taxpayer does not come into it.
Of course, he does.
(Interruptions.)
Question No. 6.
This is dodging the issue completely.