asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will make a statement on the present position in relation to the achievement of a common European Community policy for potatoes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Potato Policy.
4.
The draft proposal for a common organisation of the market in potatoes was discussed again by the Council of Ministers at its meeting on 11th October. No agreement was reached and the proposal will now be re-examined by the Commission.
When does the Parliamentary Secretary expect the Commission to be making a further proposal, and would he indicate if the Minister has sought an assurance that there will not be undue delay?
The Minister has sought that assurance but I cannot say when a decision will be announced. It is being discussed.
Has the Minister made any representations to the Commission as to the matters he would like to see provided for and, if so, would he indicate what those matters are?
Those matters have been discussed over a long period, as far back as January, 1976, but at that time apparently the member states failed to agree on the original proposals and the Commission decided to revise those proposals and they are now being considered.
The question I am posing is, what is the Minister's, the Irish, view as to the ingredients those proposals should include?
I think the main view is that some system should be found to stabilise the potato market. Naturally, there is opposition to those proposals from certain countries such as The Netherlands and West Germany.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary can be more precise. Has he and the Minister got a precise view as to what the agreement should be? If he is not able to give us a precise indication, does not that mean that the Minister has no view on this matter?
On the assumption that an agreement will not be reached in the near future, would the Parliamentary Secretary impress on the Minister the need to form a proper potato marketing board here?
This illustrates the need to have a fund within the Community to stabilise the potato market and to meet the type of situation which arose in 1974 in regard to cattle. A fund should be created that would help to keep the bottom under the price of potatoes.