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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 1

Written Answers. - Veterinary Inspection Levy.

Hugh Byrne

Question:

201 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the reason his first promise to farmers to reduce the veterinary inspection levy to farmers on pigs to 75p by 1 February 1995 has not been honoured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3426/95]

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

217 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the benefit to pig producers of reducing the veterinary levy to 75 pence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3355/95]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 217 together. I have arranged to provide relief to pig producers by (a) reducing the slaughtering levy from £1 to 95 pence per pig and (b) suspending, on a temporary basis, the statutory levy of 20 pence per pig paid by pig producers to An Bord Bia. I have already introduced regulations to provide for the slaughtering levy to be reduced to 95 pence.

With regard to the suspension of the An Bord Bia levy, which must be effected by way of a motion passed in both Houses of the Oireachtas, the grant-in-aid for An Bord Bia is being increased by £650,000 in 1995 to compensate for the loss of revenue involved.
The benefit of these measures to pig producers should be in excess of £850,000 per annum which is important in the context of tight margins.
The minor delay in implementing these measures results from the need to draft legislation in respect of the pig slaughtering fee and to lay the necessary orders before the two Houses of the Oireachtas.
I emphasise that the suspension of the levy to An Bord Bia is purely a temporary measure. For the longer term, I am having an in-depth examination made of the pigmeat inspection service with a view to identifying measures which will improve efficiency, reduce costs and thus enable the slaughtering levy to be cut further.
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