I want to talk about the problems regarding the importation of Cyprus potatoes. Irish potato producers, many of whom are located in County Meath, have had two very bad years, last year and the year before. Last year, in particular, their problems were aggravated by the very substantial importation of early Cyprus potatoes, which led to a dramatic decline in the price paid for potatoes produced here. Considerable pressure was put on the Minister to take action to stop the importation of Cyprus potatoes, particularly because these potatoes were not coming from within the EEC. They were coming from a country outside the EEC, to whom we had no obligation under the Treaty of Rome to allow their potatoes in.
The Minister, in reply to a question in January, said he had taken powers to ensure that those imports would stop and that this year farmers would have the assurance that there would be no importation of Cyprus potatoes. I welcomed that commitment. Seven days ago, the Minister of State, Deputy Smith, was asked if that commitment was adhered to. He was asked by Deputy D'Arcy, as reported in volume 328, column 2564 of the Official Report of 12 May 1981:
Can the Minister guarantee that Cyprus potatoes will not reach this country before all the ware potatoes are bought up?
The Minister of State replied:
The order which the Minister for Agriculture introduced restricting imports from Cyprus is intended to do what the Deputy suggests. There is no application for a licence before the Minister and there is no intention of granting one.
Nothing could be more unequivocal. Within four days of those words being spoken by the Minister of State an application was granted by the Minister for Agriculture to allow 200 tons of Cyprus potatoes to be introduced into this country for, as we were told, processing, not for sale on the open market. I understand that a licence was granted on the very day the Minister of State was telling the House there was no application for a licence before the Minister and there was no intention of granting one. If, having said that, the situation can change so much within the space of three days, is there any wonder farmers do not trust the Government not to allow any more Cyprus potatoes in?
I know the Government are saying that those 200 tons are the only potatoes which will be allowed in. If they could tell the Dáil in a formal reply to a question that not only would they not allow any in but there was no application to allow any in and within three days such an application was granted, is it any wonder farmers do not have much confidence in what the Minister is likely to say? The case will probably be made by the Minister of State that he will take steps to ensure that any of the potatoes that come in here will not trickle into the domestic market and be used to depress the price of potatoes sold by Irish producers.
How does the Minister propose to police that operation? It is all right to say it will not be possible for them to be sold at retail level in County Louth and County Meath because there are enough local potato producers likely to go around the shops to keep an eye on this and report the abuse. There will not be producers in the west in a position to go around to every shop. What way is there to stop those potatoes trickling into the domestic market in part of the country where there is not a heavy concentration of potato production and vigilance by the producers?
Will the Minister of State tell us why Irish potatoes could not be used for the processing operation for which he had seen his way, despite his previous commitment, to allow imported Cyprus potatoes to be used? Why could Irish potatoes not be used for the same purpose? In view of the statement of the Minister of State in the Dáil on 13 May, so rapidly proved incorrect, it is hard to put a lot of credence in an assurance from him. Can he give an assurance that there will be no further importation of Cyprus potatoes? The Minister of State should know that Irish potato producers are in a very angry mood at present. They feel they have been let down. They feel very insecure and they want a cast iron assurance that their situation will not be allowed to deteriorate the way it deteriorated last year.