asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he is aware that the EEC intervention price for whiting has dropped from £8.00 to £6.00 per box; and the action he proposes in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Whiting Intervention Price.
7.
I am aware of the reductions in the offical EEC withdrawal prices for small round whiting this year.
The withdrawal prices for each quality grade of the species covered by the Community's price support system are fixed annually by EEC Commission Regulation following discussions on the basis of the Commission's price proposals. The reduction for low grade whiting which applies throughout the Community must be seen in the context of the generally satisfactory price "package" finally agreed. This "package" was in my view most satisfactory. Increases in the withdrawal prices for the bulk of fish landed by Irish fishermen ranged from approximately 5 per cent to 28 per cent depending on the quality grade of the fish involved, averaging out at about 15 per cent overall. These prices will hold throughout 1981 and will come up for review at the end of the year when the matter can be re-examined.
Is the Minister aware that the fishermen are not satisfied with this price package? They are very concerned that the price for bulk which he talks about has dropped from £8 to £6 a box, which is the equivalent of 6p. a pound. Is the Minister aware that the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry agreed in Brussels that the fishermen here would get a price of only 6p. in the pound? Surely he is not satisfied with that? That is the reason why the men are outside the gates of Leinster House at present.
The prices package has been generally welcomed by the producers' organisation. I have evidence to support that fact. The Irish Times of Wednesday, 17 December 1980 carried a headline “Power in fish limits deadlock”. I quote from the last paragraph of that statement:
An Irish Fish Producers Organisation leader last night welcomed early news from Brussels on minimum withdrawal price proposals for 1981. Mr. Declan Tanham, chief executive of the IFPO, said that the new prices would carry increases of up to in some instances 35% on some species, but in the main would work out in the region of 15%.
He welcomed this.
The Minister is hiding behind The Irish Times.
He is hiding behind no-one.
He could not physically hide behind The Irish Times.
It must be a bigger paper than I take it to be.
I do not know if it is read widely in west Cork or west Kerry.
I am certainly not going to disagree with The Irish Times. I disagree with the Minister. The heading should have been “Power has lost power with the EEC”.
I could not answer that question. The only way in which I can answer the question is by giving the statement from the people responsible and I have quoted it for the Deputy.
I thank the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. I am now talking about the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry——
Deputy White must ask a Supplementary Question.
——and the question that I am asking of the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry is, is he satisfied that the price is now down to 6p. a pound for the support price for whiting for our Irish fishermen? It is disgraceful.
All I can say is that, obviously, there was total satisfaction with the agreement.
I would say to Dáil Éireann——
Deputy Fitzgerald.
Very little would satisfy the Opposition.
I am speaking about the fishermen, not the Opposition.
Is the Minister aware that the collapse in fish prices is such that the European Commission are at present investigating the matter? I was told by the relevant Commissioner last week that he is awaiting information from Britain about the collapse of prices on the British market, with a view to reviewing the entire position. If he is aware of that, why did he just give the answer he has given? If he is not aware of it, why is he not aware?
I cannot give the Leader of the Opposition the answer which he would want me to give. All that I can give him are the facts before me and I have given him those. I am sorry if they do not suit him.
A final supplementary.
Is the Minister aware of the fact that the European Commission, faced with the complaints of the collapse of prices on the fish market is awaiting information from Britain with a view to reviewing the whole position of the collapse of the market?
Be it one way or the other, the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, being the Minister he is, has answered the question to the best of his ability.
We appreciate that.
Is the Minister aware of that fact, or is he not?
I am not aware.
Fair enough.
A final supplementary from Deputy Deasy.
In that case, who put the present Minister in to answer the question?
Deputy FitzGerald certainly did not, in any event. There are things one could say about what the Deputy said in Brussels last week when he met the Minister for Agriculture.
Deputy Deasy.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the price of——
(Interruptions.)
I am sorry, Deputies, a final supplementary from Deputy Deasy.
Arising from the Minister's reply in which he stated that a producers' organisation was satisfied with the price package, I ask the Minister who does the producers' organisation represent? Is it the middlemen or the buyers?
I am answering the question which I was asked. I have answered the supplementary question asked by Deputy White and I quoted the statement issued.
Not by the fishermen.
There is not much more that I can give. I named the person, Mr. Declan Tanham, Chief Executive of the IFPO.
Not the fishermen.
Not the IFO.
I think the Minister is misleading us.
We heard all about the Deputy's school deputations down in west Cork, when he had two deputations in the back of the car. I shall come to the Deputy in a moment.
Answer the question.