asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if the moisture content of feeding stuffs is given in the analysis; and, if not, if he will take the necessary steps to have it shown.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Feeding Stuffs Moisture Content.
6.
Existing feeding stuffs legislation does not provide for the official control of moisture content of feeding stuffs and accordingly information about it is not given in the relevant statutory documents.
EEC directives on feeding stuffs are in the process of being drawn up and, pending the finalisation of these directives, it is not proposed to amend our existing legislation to provide for a declaration of moisture content.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that the analysis of feeding stuffs in the absence of an indication of moisture content is meaningless and that this situation should be corrected?
Under our existing legislation it is not possible to do so. As I indicated, there is a likelihood of a change and possibly when the EEC directive is finalised the moisture content will have to be shown.
At what stage are the EEC proposals?
I would say at an advanced stage.
Is it not reasonable to assume that, since the Parliamentary Secretary is not in a position to say when this EEC regulation will be made, we should make our own regulations as a matter of urgency to protect the consumers of feeding stuffs?
The Deputy was Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries for a number of years and a member of the Government for a more extended period and he did not find it necessary to make such regulations.
That is not an answer to my question.
As I said, in the absence of any concrete information by the EEC on regulations covering moisture content I cannot do anything about this.
In the absence of EEC regulations does the Parliamentary Secretary not consider that we should introduce regulations of our own?
I told the Deputy that the EEC directive on feeding stuffs is in the process of being drawn up and, pending finalisation of this, it is not proposed to amend the existing legislation to provide that the moisture content be given. When the Deputy was Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries for a number of years he did not find it necessary to do anything about the moisture content.
I am sure the Parliamentary Secretary is aware that the moisture content did not come into reckoning during the term of office of Deputy Gibbons and that it is only in the last year or two that this has come into consideration. In view of that does he not now consider that some regulation should be made to show the moisture content in feeding stuffs?
I do not agree that it is an urgent matter, particularly this year when we had one of the driest summers for many years. Our grain has a lower moisture content this year so it is not necessary to do anything about this at the present time. Possibly the EEC directive will be in force next year.