When I was compelled to move the adjournment about a fortnight ago, I think, I had been asked to deal with the question of foreign markets. It was owing to the fact that the time had arrived for moving the adjournment that I did not get an opportunity of dealing with the question at that time. First of all, a question arose with regard to the British market. Whatever we may think about the British market, whether it is the best market that we can have, or otherwise, I think it must be admitted that the British market is going to be a declining market for this country, whether we have an end to the economic war or not, because the British Government have decided on a policy of restricting imports. If they are not diminishing imports from the Dominions, at least, they got an undertaking from the various Dominions that their exports of different commodities would not be increased in future. As a matter of fact, they have tried to get an undertaking from them that they would reduce their exports of certain commodities to the British markets in future. It is, of course, only commonsense to expect that the British Government would come to that conclusion with regard to their own country because they have embarked on a policy of developing their own agriculture. If they are to develop their own agriculture they must naturally look for a greater market at home for their products. In order to encourage their people to produce more they are endeavouring to increase prices by restricting imports. In the first place, they are restricting imports for the sake of encouraging their own agriculture, and in the second place, I think it would be found if we examine the British trade statistics that over a period there has been a tendency towards declining exports. If their exports are declining they must naturally curtail their imports. So that we can agree, I think, that if we are to increase agricultural production here—and as I already said, Deputy O'Sullivan on the other side pointed out that the policy we were pursuing would eventually lead to an increase in agricultural output if we succeed in getting increased tillage—we must find other markets than Great Britain, whatever relations we may have with Great Britain in future.
That brings us to the question of foreign markets. We must seek these alternative markets unless our home market expands very rapidly and unexpectedly. Take the question of foreign markets outside Great Britain. In the first place we had foreign markets to a certain extent already. The charge is made sometimes by our opponents that we cannot get foreign markets. Alternatively, they say that if we do succeed in getting them, it is only because we have brought prices so low that foreigners can come in and purchase our products. At any rate, there were some markets outside Great Britain for some years. There were certain commodities this country had been sending abroad, not alone to the Continent but to America. There was, for many years, a limited market for butter outside Great Britain. There was also a market for other milk products. As a matter of fact our condensed milk factory in Limerick for the year 1932 has exported 50 per cent. of its output to markets outside Great Britain. The condensed milk factory in Limerick is a very big concern. We had also for many years limited markets for bacon, ham, horses, wool, and other things, outside Great Britain. When we came into power it was a question of holding these markets for our products, and increasing them, and, if possible, finding markets in other places. We have been, at least, to a certain extent successful in doing so, perhaps not as successful as we had hoped, but I would say much more successful than our opponents thought when we assumed office. If I were not in the position of being afraid to trust my opponents in this House, with certain information about the markets we have got on the Continent for certain products, which are likely to turn out very well——