asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will take the necessary action to prevent foreign potato imports until all Irish stocks have been exhausted and, above all, prevent further scenes as those witnessed and experienced yesterday at Dundalk port, County Louth.
Private Notice Questions. - Potato Imports.
Mr. Leonard
andMr. Conaghan asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will impose a ban on the importation of potatoes for the next eight weeks in order to alleviate the plight of home potato producers who can adequately supply the market during that period.
I propose to take the two questions together. Under EEC rules it is not open to me to ban imports of potatoes into Ireland from other member states just as they may not ban imports of agricultural products from Ireland. While I fully appreciate the weak state of the market here and the low level of prices which Irish producers have been getting, I regret the action taken yesterday at Dundalk port to prevent imports.
Imports of potatoes to date this year have been low as compared with previous years. The quantity imported in the first three months of 1983 was 3,600 tonnes as compared with 26,400 tonnes in the same period last year.
Mr. Leonard
Is the Minister aware that there is an adequate supply of good quality potatoes available which are selling at about 50 per cent of the accepted minimum price that the potatoes were produced for? Is the Minister aware that this could be termed as dumping? Is the Minister aware that there are precedents for controls and that other EEC Governments have safeguarded their producers' interests even if they go against EEC regulations in regard to other products.
It is not dumping and this has been established. The variety of potato in question is a very high yielder but we have been assured that they are not being dumped here. We cannot ban produce for any length of time even though we might like to do so. We are very vulnerable in this regard because we export between £1.5 billion and £2 billion worth of agricultural produce annually. For that reason we have to be very careful when it comes to imposing any type of ban. I am sure the Deputy will accept that.
On the whole question of potato production, I should like to tell the House that the Department have initiated — I believe this commenced under the last Administration — with producer groups and merchants a type of planned potato production. That is how we will have to tackle the problem. We will have to take on the competition wherever it comes from within the EEC. We are capable of doing that once we initiate planned production, continuity of supply and quality control. Growers are demanding this. Up to now it was difficult to get the agreement of the growers but they are now telling us they are prepared for quality control and have their bags of potatoes identified even with their own names. Legislation will be necessary in this respect and we hope to get that through the House quickly. Hopefully, when that is passed we will not have this type of annual occurrence.
Is the Minister aware that there was not a Department inspector at the port yesterday when these potatoes arrived? Is the Minister aware that there was a growth on the potatoes and that they would have been refused entry if an official from the Department had inspected them? Will it be possible, until such time as we have a common agricultural policy and the measures the Minister has outlined, to ban the import of potatoes until the 30,000 tonnes of top quality Irish potatoes that are available in 15 counties are used up?
Our people were there yesterday. In fact, a representative from the Department cleared the consignment of potatoes with regard to plant health. That was a loophole we used for a number of years with regard to imports but plant health has been standardised and once imports comply with plant health regulations we have no further function. What happened subsequently at the port is a matter for the Department of Justice. We cannot impose a ban on imports, even for 24 hours. The matter is as simple as that.
Is the Minister aware that in Donegal farmers who expended up to £800 to produce an acre of potatoes are selling them now for £15 per ton? I cannot accept the Minister's statement that he does not have any power to ban the importation of potatoes because there is a precedent for such action. Bearing in mind that new potatoes from Cyprus and the Canary Islands are coming on the market, the Government should impose a ban on imported potatoes for at least eight weeks. If that action is taken the farmers who are now in a terrible plight in regard to the tonnage of potatoes they have on their farms will get some relief for the high cost they have put into producing the 1982-83 crop. We should not accept the argument that a ban cannot be imposed. We do not accept the Government's argument that we should be the goodies on the European scene while bans are being imposed by other countries to protect their produce.
While I sympathise with the points of view expressed I must point out that the facts have been established that this time last year in the region of 6,000 tonnes of potatoes were imported. That is a fact of life with regard to potatoes produced in the Community. We are aware that the price of potatoes is quite low. The Dutch have the advantage in their heavy yielding variety. In fact, they are more expensive at present than Irish potatoes.
I must move to the next question. We cannot have a long debate on this; it has gone on for too long.
I am not asking for a debate but I am anxious to put a supplementary question to the Minister of State.
I tabled the first question and I should be given an opportunity of putting a supplementary to the Minister of State.
If the Deputy will resume his seat I will announce my intentions. I will allow two short supplementaries to be put to the Minister. I must point out to the House that questions are not being put. Members are making fairly long speeches on all questions. That is intolerable. Deputy Burke may put a short question.
The Minister said that 26,000 tonnes of potatoes were imported last year and I should like to know if he realises that this year there is a glut on the market and that Irish producers are being pushed out of the marketplace. Those producers will not be in a position to grow next year. What protection will the Minister give such producers? What action does the Minister intend to take against the boat load? In the long term what action does the Minister intend to take in the potato producing area and in horticulture in general? The Minister may not be aware that the growers in North County Dublin are broke. What does the Minister intend to do about that problem?
I am amazed at the comments of the last speaker. I have been in the Department of Agriculture since December 1982 and in that short time I have succeeded in getting the potato producers to meet me. They have told me what they want.
Floor prices.
They do not want closed doors. They fully appreciate it. Not only do they produce potatoes but dairy products, beef——
Vegetables.
The farmers are the first to realise that, if we impose embargos, straight away we have created embargos for our dairy and meat products in the European market.
That is nonsense and the Minister knows it.
It is not.
The French and British can protect their own. Why does the Irish Government not protect our own?
The French attempted to do something. We retaliated and got support from other EEC countries during the week. No one in the Community can act outside the rules. We are heavily dependent on agricultural exports, unlike other EEC countries. Our exports are in the region of £3 billion. Anything that might do harm to that would be foolhardy.
The Minister is pussy-footing around. Farmers are going broke in North County Dublin, Meath and other areas.
Deputy Burke will please resume his seat.
What is the Minister doing about the vegetable growing industry? He is pussy-footing around with dairy farming.
I will adjourn the House if I do not get order.
These questions were answered before the Deputy Burke came into the House.
I am calling Deputy Gregory-Independent. Deputies are abusing the facility of Private Notice Questions. The Chair has discretion and I am calling on Deputy Gregory-Independent.
I put down the question and want to ask a supplementary.
I am not allowing any more questions.
In view of the fact that the Minister for Agriculture is not present, although I have the greatest respect for the Minister for State, it is a disgrace for the Minister to——
That is not a question. If the Deputy wants to ask a question, will he please do so?
On a point of order——
That is not a point of order.
The Chair does not know what it is.
Private Notice Questions are being abused. Deputies have no one to blame but themselves.
The Chair said he would allow me to ask a final question.
I have ruled out any final supplementaries.
I wish to ask the Minister for Justice if he is concerned that a candidate in the Donegal by-election——
I thought it was a supplementary about the question dealing with potatoes.
Mr. Leonard
In his reply the Minister of State raised a couple of issues which I did not get an opportunity to query. I find at present that, unless one bullies one's way around, one will not get one's rights or satisfaction, nor will one be given an opportunity to pursue supplementary questions, which one is entitled to.
Deputy Leonard is one of the last Deputies who should complain about not getting a fair crack of the whip as far as supplementary questions are concerned. We succeeded at Question Time today in dealing with 17 questions, which is less than half of what is normal. I allowed a number of questions on the Private Members' question which was put down. If Deputies are not satisfied they can take the matter to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and have it discussed there. Deputy Gregory-Independent was given permission to put down a question and I am now calling on him to read it.
Mr. Leonard
On a point of order——
The Chair said he would allow me to come in after Deputy Burke.
Mr. Leonard
I accused the Minister of allowing potatoes to be dumped. The price at which these potatoes are coming in is unrealistic. The Minister in his reply referred to a variety of potatoes which have a high yield and said it was not dumping. Is the Department of Agriculture——
I have passed on to the next question.
We imported £26.4 million in 1982, which is a disgrace.
Mr. Leonard
I wish to raise this matter on the Adjournment this evening.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
(Interruptions.)
Is Deputy Farrelly in favour of importing potatoes from Holland?
I shall adjourn the House if order is not restored.
(Interruptions.)
Is Deputy Farrelly in favour of importing potatoes?
Deputy O'Keeffe will resume his seat. Deputy O'Keeffe will leave the House.
Is he in favour of importing Dutch potatoes?
I will answer the Deputy if I am allowed.
(Interruptions.)
I accept that the Chair has given a certain amount of time to this.
I have allowed 20 minutes for it.
I accept that, but it is a fundamental issue. The importation of potatoes into the Irish market——
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Burke was ten minutes late coming into the House.
Deputy Burke, resume your seat or I shall adjourn the House.
Sitting suspended at 3.45 p.m. and resumed at 4 p.m.
I am asking Deputy Gregory-Independent to read his Private Notice Question to the Minister for Justice.
I do not in any way wish to argue with the Chair but can I ask just one question, with your permission, please?
No, I am sorry. Deputy Burke will resume his seat for a moment. The Chair got no co-operation whatever on the last question. The Chair allowed 17 or 18 minutes on that question. Deputies who were not in the House came in, some of them created disorder, some of them refused to obey the Chair. The Chair passed to the next question. One Deputy asked for permission to raise the subject matter of what I will call "the potato question". The Chair said in the usual way he would communicate with the Deputy. Deputy Gregory-Independent was reading the next Private Notice Question, and complete disorder broke out. The Chair has passed from the potato question and he must stand on that decision and calls on Deputy Gregory-Independent.
I accept fully parts of what you have given as the details of what happened, but you will accept that as an Irish Parliament we are subject to a certain amount of emotion about importation of potatoes. I have a simple supplementary that I want to——
I had passed, and I will not depart from that principle.
I accept you had passed on the basis that the question would be raised on the Adjournment, but there are many Members in the House——
I am warning Deputy Burke that he must resume his seat. I am giving the Deputy timely warning to leave the House now.
I have never argued with the Chair and I do not want to do so now.
It is a matter for the House because I must have Deputy Burke named. He has refused to resume his seat.
I will leave the House——
Deputy Burke withdrew from the Chamber.