asked the Minister for Agriculture the actual volume of milk delivered to milk plants for the 12 months of the super-levy year from 2 April 1984 to 31 March 1985; how that volume compares with the relevant period for 1983; how that volume compares with the co-responsibility returns for each of the same periods; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna - Questions. Oral Answers. - Milk Deliveries to Plants.
3.
As some purchasers have yet to furnish final figures for milk deliveries for the period 1 January 1985 to 31 March 1985 it is not possible to say at this stage what was the actual volume of milk delivered to milk plants for the 12-month period of the super-levy.
Is the Minister aware that he has only a few days left to notify Brussels because 15 May is the date on which Brussels had to be notified of our super-levy penalty? Can he say what excess volume we are likely to have? If there are only a few co-operatives left surely the Minister must know the answer within a reasonable range.
We wrote to the co-ops on 29 March of this year and asked them to supply us with figures by return of post. Six purchasers — I will call them purchasers so that we will not get mixed up between co-ops, dairies and creameries — have yet to furnish the figures we requested. That creates a difficulty for us. The latest estimate — and I stress that it is an estimate — of milk intake for the period 2 April 1984 to 31 March 1985 is 5.586 million tonnes. This compares with out total quota entitlement of 5.583 million tonnes subject to our request for the 58,000 tonnes being granted. It is an estimate.
On the dates of the milk super-levy, that is, 2 April to 31 December, has the Minister any plans to ask in Ireland's case to have the milk super-levy year the same as the calendar year and the base year, that is, 1 January to 31 December because of our unique spring base milk production? It would be far easier for people to reconcile their milk at the end of lactation rather than in the middle of it?
I do not think that would be possible. The year is not to 31 December. It is to 31 March.
The calendar year.
The Deputy mentioned 2 April to 31 December. The present quota is 2 April to 31 March. The marketing year within the EC for virtually every product except cereals is from 1 April to 31 March. I have no plans to make such a request. It has not been put to me before.
I am putting it to the Minister now.
I will examine it.
Would it not be better to use the calendar year?
It is not used in financial circles either.
There would be more cards in the pack.
I do not know about that.