asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of (a) cattle, (b) sheep, and (c) pigs, consigned from the Free State for shipment through ports in the Six Counties in each of the years 1924 to 1927.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - SHIPMENTS THROUGH SIX COUNTY PORTS.
The numbers of cattle, sheep and pigs consigned from the Irish Free State to places outside Ireland that were exported through the Land Frontier Customs Stations in each of the years 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927 were:—
|
Cattle No. |
Sheep No. |
Pigs No. |
|
|
1924 |
64,202 |
2,200 |
2,365 |
|
1925 |
53,112 |
1,831 |
871 |
|
1926 |
44,945 |
1,203 |
2,655 |
|
1927 |
43,963 |
2,042 |
2,455 |
It may be noted that these figures indicate no such growing diversion of traffic from Saorstát ports as was alleged in a recent debate. The percentage of all stock exported from the Saorstát which passed into Northern Ireland in 1927 was 3, while in 1924 it was 3.9, 1925 4.7, and 1926 3.6. I want to make the comment that the figures do not show the tendency the Deputy referred to in the course of the recent debate as to shipments from ports outside the Saorstát.