asked the Minister for Agriculture the steps he proposes to take to encourage the production of potatoes.
32.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Potato Production.
31.
Mr. Leonard
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will take steps to make the importation of foreign potatoes unattractive; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 32 together.
While production of potatoes has been declining for a number of years past, that trend was reversed in 1982 when there was an increase of over 5 per cent in the area under the crop. Our production is adequate to meet domestic requirements but there is considerable scope for better marketing and presentation.
Supplies from other member states are entitled to free access to our market, but there is no reason why Irish potatoes of good quality, which are properly graded and presented, should not compete successfully with them. It is my aim to foster that development by vigorous enforcement of the potato grading regulations operated by my Department and by encouraging better organisation of marketing by potato producers, traders and merchants.
Imports of potatoes from countries outside the EEC are subject to licensing control and no licences have been issued this season.
Mr. Leonard
Is the Minister aware that at present we are importing around 15,000 tonnes of frozen chips? Is he further aware that while we imported 90 tonnes in February 1981, we imported 10,000 tonnes in February 1982? We do not seem to be producing the proper variety of potato which would be suitable for the frozen chip market and I would ask the Minister to inquire into this matter. We have factories lying idle but the variety is not available.
What the Deputy said is relevant and correct. Some of the figures which I have here are even more illustrative and alarming. For instance, in 1980 we imported 6,970 tonnes of potatoes. That rose to 38,600 tonnes in 1981 and, in 1982, our imports of potatoes came to 84,500 tonnes. None of us can be happy with that kind of increase in imports and it certainly gives cause for concern.
The Minister stated that the Department were vigorously implementing grading regulations. Could he indicate how many producers have been prosecuted for failure to comply with the regulations?
I am sorry, I do not have that information available. I will check on it if the Deputy so wishes.
Has the Minister any method at his disposal which would make the importation of foreign potatoes unattractive?
That is a very difficult thing to do, seeing that the vast quantities of potatoes to which I have referred are coming from within the EEC, primarily from Holland, and you cannot put a trade embargo on fellow members of the EEC. We have resisted for several years, as the previous Minister, Deputy Lenihan knows, the importation of potatoes from Cyprus which were causing considerable distortions on the Irish market. However, this matter is being contested at the moment and it is being contended that Cyprus are entitled to import a certain volume of potatoes into the EEC and that Ireland should have to take a proportion of those imports. There were no such imports in 1982 and I hope to stave off any attempts to import potatoes from Cyprus in 1983.
Is the Minister aware that last October the Government made a firm decision to allocate £100,000 to the development of a horticultural board, primarily to deal with the potato marketing problem? I realise there are financial exigencies but would the Minister not agree that, in principle, a State-sponsored board in the area of horticulture, particularly in regard to the marketing problems of potatoes, is the right way forward? Is the Minister also aware that in his Department sufficient data has been collected and collated to provide the necessary legislation and framework for such a board?
I agree with Deputy Lenihan's sentiments and at present I am having a tug-of-war with the Department of Finance on that very matter. I hope to succeed but more than that I cannot say. We need to improve the standard of grading, marketing and presentation of our potatoes if we are to compete with imports. That is where we are primarily falling down on the job.
In view of the remarkable fact disclosed by the Minister that last year we imported 84,500 tonnes of potatoes, will the Minister consider doing what many other countries in the EEC have done in similar circumstances, namely, imposing a unilateral ban as a temporary measure on the import of this product?
It is all very well to say that. Often we are compared in poor light with the tactics of, for instance, the French. My information is that we might succeed by some kind of obstructive campaign for a week or so but no longer. On the other hand, we must remember we export a vast amount of agricultural products to countries such as Holland and other EEC states. If there was retaliatory action to such tactics on our part it would affect adversely our agricultural industry.
Has the Minister any proposals to expand the seed potato industry which has been severely hit in County Donegal, one of the most extensive seed-producing counties? Is the Minister aware there is a problem here in relation to last year's crop and many of the producers are in a serious financial position with regard to VAT? Is there any future for this industry? Are the potato Marketing Board devising policies whereby producers will know when they plant potatoes that they will have a market for them, rather than operating on a system where they plant and must wait for the following year for a market for them?
That is one of the vagaries of the farming industry, whether potatoes or any other crop. We do not know when we plant what will be the return. The money we are endeavouring to obtain would be primarily channelled towards the seed potato growers in Donegal.
The remaining questions will appear on next Tuesday's Order Paper.
I should like written replies to Questions Nos. 80, 85 and 141.
I asked permission to raise a Private Notice Question to ask——
Deputy, please.
——the Minister for Labour, in view of the decision of the High Court in the case of the workers at Ranks being jailed——
The Deputy must not try to shout down the Chair. The Deputy has been informed of the position. On the information before me and on the advice I received I regret I have had to rule out of order the Deputy's question as not being suitable for a Private Notice Question. That is that.
Will the Chair indicate on what grounds he has ruled out Private Notice Questions I handed in regarding the jailing of Irish workers?
The Deputy knows it is not proper to question the decision of the Chair on a matter of this kind but if he comes to my office and discusses it with me he will be very welcome. I ruled out the question on the advice I got. I had practically no time to go into it. I was here dealing with questions and I ruled it out on the advice I got.
I apologise to the Chair for the short notice but the Chair will appreciate I only became aware of it on the midday news. There was nothing deliberate in what I did——
I am not saying that and I did not complain.
The Chair appreciates that the jailing of workers could have serious consequences.
There is no way the Deputy may raise a question that has been ruled out of order but that is what the Deputy is trying to do. On the day I was elected to this high office we decided we would not allow that to happen. I appeal to the Deputy to accept the ruling of the Chair.
In deference to the Chair I accept the ruling of the Chair. However, with the permission of the Chair I should like to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.