Vol. 75 No. 4
I move:
That Seanad Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft:
Pigs and Bacon Act, 1935 (Part II) (No. 4) Regulations, 1973, and Agricultural Produce (Fresh Meat) Act, 1930 (Exporter's Licences) (Fees) Regulations, 1973.
copies of which were laid in draft before the Seanad on the 1st day of February, 1973.
The purpose of these regulations is to implement part of an agreement made in 1972 between my Department, the meat trade organisations and An Foras Talúntais whereby the collection of increased slaughtering fees from the meat trade since the second half of 1963 as a contribution towards research projects would be terminated from the end of 1968 and some fees collected from traders after that date would be returned to them.
Under sections 4 and 6 of the Agricultural Produce (Fresh Meat) Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1954, the draft regulations require the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas. They were approved by the Dáil on 2nd May, 1973. The regulations under which the fees were collected were approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas in December, 1963. The regulations give effect to a request made at that time by the meat trade organisations concerned, namely the Irish Fresh Meat Exporters Society, the Irish Bacon Curers' Society and the Beef Canners' Association.
The fees collected, plus an equivalent contribution from the Exchequer, were to be used for financing a meat research unit to be set up by the trade in conjunction with An Foras Talúntais and my Department. Shortly afterwards the trade organisations altered their views about proceeding with the research unit on the lines originally intended. However, they continued to be urged to co-operate with my Department and with An Foras Talúntais in the development of facilities for suitable research projects, and the statutory fees continued to be collected.
In 1969 the meat trade took a High Court action for return of the fees on the grounds that the purpose for which they were collected had failed. The court action was not successful and negotiations were reopened with a view to finding an acceptable solution. These negotiations resulted in the 1972 agreement between my Department, the meat trade and An Foras Talúntais. Under that agreement the State holds to the credit of the meat trade the research fees amounting to approximately £92,000 paid in respect of the period from the 1st July, 1963 to the 31st December 1968. Fees paid by some meat traders after that date would be refunded to them.
I am glad to say that a number of research projects have already been drawn up for implementation under the new agreement and I look forward to useful progress now being made in this sphere. In accordance with the terms of the agreement the State will contribute to the cost of the meat trade research project an amount up to the level of that contributed by the trade itself, subject to a maximum annual State contribution of £25,000. The arrangements generally are to be reviewed at the end of a three year period by the parties to the agreement. I ask the Seanad to approve the Draft Regulations now before the House, the effect of which is to reduce as from 1st January, 1969, the slaughtering fees charged to meat traders to the level in operation up to 1963, when the increased fees for meat research were first introduced.
