asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that the total value of eggs imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland has risen from £7,051,006 in 1934 to £7,776,669 in 1935, while the value of egg exports from the Free State thereto fell from £894,642 in 1934 to £711,337 in 1935, and whether in view of the fact that the repeated statements made in the country that the British market is declining has tended to discourage egg production in the country, he will cause these statements to be officially contradicted and have the attention of egg producers in the country drawn to the large market that exists in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for eggs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Value of British Egg Imports.
Dr. Ryan
I am aware of the figures quoted. The decrease in eggs exported from this country to the United Kingdom is not, however, a matter of recent date. There has been a continuous decline since 1928 coinciding with a general shrinkage in the quantity and value of eggs imported into the United Kingdom from all sources. The drop in the export of eggs from this country to the United Kingdom in 1935, as compared with 1934, has been offset to a large extent by an increase in exports to other countries.
As regards the second part of the Question, I am not in a position to act as suggested seeing that the total imports of eggs into the United Kingdom from all sources have declined from 26,466,490 great hundreds in 1928 to 19,778,764 great hundreds in 1935, the total value has fallen in the same period from £17,776,214 to £7,776,669, and the average value per great hundred from 13/5 to 7/10.
Can the Minister state why in a year in which there has been an increase in the imports of eggs to Great Britain, and in which the value rose by £725,663, our exports decreased by £183,305?
Dr. Ryan
I have already answered that question.
The Minister has not given any explanation as to whether he has any idea of the reasons that are operating.
Dr. Ryan
I have already answered the question. I said that our exports had increased to other countries.
Surely the Minister is aware of the fact that they did not increase in a way to offset the falling off of exports to Great Britain. Is the Minister going to take any steps to see that the export of eggs to Great Britain will go back, even to the figure at which it was last year, in view of the increased market that there is there for eggs.
Dr. Ryan
Not as long as we have better markets in Spain and Germany