asked the Minister for Agriculture the plans he has to aid sheep farmers; and the progress made by him to achieve a CAP for sheep in the light of the fact that the industry does not appear to be making sufficient progress to help the national economy by way of increased exports.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sheep Farmers.
8.
Sheep farmers are already aided under our headage payments schemes for hogget ewes and mountain lambs. Payments in 1976 to sheep producers under these schemes amounted to about £3 million.
As regards a common policy for sheepmeat, I have been pressing this issue for the past four years but, while proposals for an interim arrangement have been put forward by the EEC Commission, it has not been possible to reach agreement on them in the Council of Ministers.
Market prices here for sheep and lambs have been at very satisfactory levels for the past year or so and the market outlook continues to be encouraging. Producers have, therefore, an incentive to expand production.
Surely the Minister will agree there has been a very big decline in sheep numbers. Furthermore, sheep farmers are second-class citizens so far as agriculture in Europe is concerned. It is not sufficient for the Minister to say he has been doing his best for four years. What is there to show for it at this stage?
The Deputy should understand the way the Community works. It requires only one member state to say "no" and then you do not have a common organisation of the market for a product. Both the British and the French have stuck out stubbornly against a common organisation of the market for lamb and in those circumstances there is no way I can get one. I am being pressed to accept an interim arrangement that would go beyond 31st December, 1977, but I am advised legally that this would be a serious mistake.
Will the Minister state when he last had discussions with his French counterpart as regards the CAP for sheep?
I have been talking for the past four years to successive French Ministers of Agriculture. The farmers' organisations have been in constant touch with their French counterparts. They thought they were getting somewhere but they got nowhere.
Will the Minister state when he last had discussions with his French counterpart with regard to the CAP for sheep?
We have already had that question.
A couple of months ago. Does the Deputy expect me to go back and forth to France every week to talk about something on which I know I can make no progress?
That is a shocking defeatist attitude for any Minister to adopt.
We should conform to the rules of Question Time by asking questions. I will allow a brief question from Deputy Callanan.
According to the Minister's reply to this question it appears he sees little hope of a common policy for sheep. Is that correct?
Not until the end of the accession period at least.
I accept that the position with regard to sheep is not too bad at the moment——
It was never better in the history of the State.
Will the Minister not agree there is no guarantee that it will continue because of the absence of a common agricultural policy for sheep? Further, will he not agree that the attitude of the French and the British to the terms of the Treaty of Rome with regard to this matter is contrary to the general principles of that Treaty?
I agree.
Will the Minister not agree that all possible pressure should be brought on the French not to act as they have been acting recently with regard to Irish lamb?
The French and the United Kingdom Governments are acting within their legal rights but they are not acting in accord with the Community spirit.
Does the Minister not agree that they are not acting according to the principles of the Treaty of Rome? All of the countries are supposed to abide by the principles of that Treaty but they have broken every line of it.
I am calling Question No. 9.