We oppose section 2, a levy on milk and slaughtered or exported animals. For a number of reasons we are very much opposed to this levy system now being imposed on farmers. The main reason for opposing it is that a big percentage of farmers have already cleared the disease from their herds and are now being asked under this section to pay a levy to finance eradication of bovine TB and brucellosis from the herds of other farmers who did not make the effort in the initial stages to get rid of the diseases. We feel very strongly that this is unfair and unjust and, I fear, unconstitutional. People who made the effort over the years to eradicate disease should be congratulated on doing so because they realised the effects of these diseases not alone on the cattle industry but on the human being as well.
The advice given over the years by the agricultural advisers and the veterinary section of the Department of Agriculture was given to all farmers, not just a section of farmers. That advice should have been accepted by all but according to the figures being produced, that was not so. A section of farmers ignored the advice given. They are getting away with it because those who took advice given to them and who rid their herds of those diseases are now being levied so that others will get rid of disease. It is my opinion that those people who made no effort in the past will make very little effort in the future unless there is legislation to bind them to getting rid of disease. The levy then will have no effect on these people, but it will have an effect on the people who have already paid for the eradication of disease.
I know more about the dairying industry than the meat industry but the rate of levy—0.5p per gallon of milk and £3 per animal slaughtered or animal exported—is very substantial. It is substantial this year because it is my belief—and I am certain of this because I am involved in the industry—that farmers will make no profit whatsoever out of milk. I am sure the same is true of people who are feeding cattle to produce beef. There will be no profits for farmers this year for the simple reason that a number of levies have been imposed on them over the last 12 months. The co-responsibility levy is 0.327p a gallon. The Bord Bainne levy, which we all support, is 1 per cent. The Agricultural Institute levy is .05p. The agricultural produce duty, which is the one that we hear so much about, is 2 per cent. This levy has been opposed violently by all the farming organisations. The milk levy is 0.2 per cent and there is the bovine disease levy of 0.5p. All those taken into consideration would add 2½p on farmers' costs, without any increase to the farmers for their produce, especially for milk production. We have heard of the cost of living and the national inflation of 14 and 15 per cent. This also has an effect on the agricultural sector and financial people have informed me that it is going to cost the farmer up to 3p a gallon. By the introduction of all the levies farmers will receive much less for their milk this year and in future years. Is this the time to impose levies? We need farmers to produce more. The inspectorate attached to the Department of Agriculture are advising managers in the dairy industry to encourage farmers to produce more but the Minister of that Department is coming in here imposing a levy on farmers through this Bill. There is a contradiction there, where you have one section of the Department of Agriculture advising that farmers should be encouraged to produce more milk and then you have another section of the Department who, by introducing the levy system, are discouraging farmers. It is my honest opinion that if this section were put to the farming organisations and their members, irrespective of their political affiliation, their unanimous decision would be that the section is wrong. There is not one member of any farming organisation who would agree with the Minister today that this levy should be imposed.