asked the Minister for Agriculture if he has received a copy of the proposed scheme of the French Farmers' Union for a common agricultural policy for sheep; if he finds the proposals acceptable in part or in toto; and the steps he proposes to take in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sheep Policy.
4.
The answer to the first part of the question is yes.
The proposals in question have been submitted by the French sheep producers' association to the French Secretary of State for Agriculture and accordingly do not call for any official cognisance by me.
My position in the matter of the restrictions operated by the French Government against imports of mutton and lamb from this country is that these restrictions are contrary to the Treaties and that, in any case, they must, under the terms of the Treaty of Accession, cease as from 31st December, 1977, the date on which the transitional period ends. To establish the former contention the Government has initiated proceedings against the French Government in the European Court.
Would the Minister agree that in his four years as Minister he has made no progress towards the establishment of a common agricultural policy for sheep?
I fully agree.
Would he also agree that the prospects for mountain lamb are practically nil and that the future of the trade is in jeopardy?
The Deputy knows this is nonsence. The prices for lamb and sheep meats over the past 12 months have never been equalled here before; they are higher than ever before. There was nothing more I could do to get a common organisation of the market for sheep meat. As long as two countries remain definitely and absoulutely opposed to such a common organisation of the market there is no way I can get it.
The hard facts are that after four years we have no CAP for sheep and the prospects for the price of mountain lambs coming on the market very soon look very bad.
That is not a question.
Is the Minister aware that sheep prices were good last year and encouraged people to go back into sheep? The people who had sheep and who have lambs now are not getting the same price that they got last year. Last year a low land ewe cost up to £35 and is selling at less than £40 now.
The Deputy will agree that this year they started by getting excellent prices and it is only in the last couple of weeks that there has been a drop in prices and I expect that drop to be very temporary.
The man who bought his lambs last year will get a very poor return when he sells this year taking into account the fact that he had to feed them through the winter.
The Minister stated categorically that prices have dropped in the last couple of weeks. This bears out what——
I thought the Deputy had a question.
What are the prospects for mountain lamb?
As I see it, there are excellent prospects for mountain lamb.
But prices have dropped.
I am calling the next question.