asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will take steps to curb the export of table potatoes in order to bring about a uniform price for this prime article of food.
32.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Potato Prices.
31.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will take steps to set up a system for buying table potatoes in order to bring about stability of prices.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 32 together.
The export of ware potatoes is subject to licensing control and no licences have, in fact, been issued since late July. In present circumstances any support buying would only aggravate the supply/demand situation. Also, it should be borne in mind that the future arrangements for potato marketing here will be influenced greatly by the decision of the Council of Ministers on the proposals for a common organisation of the potato market which have been put forward by the EEC Commission and are expected to come before the Council shortly.
Is the Minister aware that, whether support buying is licensed or not, potatoes were being exported from here, legally or illegally, and this resulted in a sharp increase in the price of table potatoes? Will the Minister further agree that, in view of our experience last year, steps should be taken by any Government or any Minister to deal with this matter?
If the Deputy is talking about smuggling potatoes across the Border, as I take it he is, steps have been taken to try to control smuggling. It is not possible to stop it altogether. A considerable number of large loads of potatoes has been confiscated in the recent past, so that this business has been tightened up as far as it is possible to tighten it up and it is not possible to tie it up completely.
Is the Minister aware that none of these confiscated potatoes found their way back into the market and did not result in any reduction in the price of potatoes? The point I want to make is that in a primary producing country—we are prime producers not only of potatoes but of other products—it is a public scandal to see the price table potatoes are making at present.
Might I remind the Deputy that the potato acreage is up by 18,000 acres in the present year but yields are substantially down? While the Deputy says it is a public disgrace in a primary producing country to have potatoes as dear as they are, nobody worried too much when the producer was not getting the cost of production. There are two sides to this business and people in this country are paying £50 to £60 less per ton than is being paid in the UK.
I do not wish to extend this matter but due to the Minister's unsatisfactory reply I propose to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
I shall communicate with the Deputy in regard to the matter.