asked the Minister for Finance if in view of the coal-cattle pact between this country and Great Britain recently ratified by the Dáil he will undertake to introduce forthwith the necessary proposals for legislation to enable the Government to recoup the farmers for the levy they are being forced to pay to Great Britain on their exportable surplus of agricultural produce.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Levy on Agricultural Produce.
As the Minister has many times explained to the Dáil, there is no ground for believing that the farmers have to bear unaided the whole burden of the British import duties on their agricultural products. On the contrary, there is reason to believe that some part is borne by the consumers and, as to the balance, the Government has already given generous assistance to the producers. In the view of the Government no further action can be taken.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary state what is the compensation he mentions that has been given to the producer?
There are so many that it would take a long time to give them. Among them are: for 1935, land annuities remitted, £2,000,000; export bounties on agricultural products, £2,194,000; butter levy, £558,000. In addition the State has granted protection to agricultural produce in the Saorstát to enable farmers to undertake the profitable production of sugar beet, wheat and tobacco, amongst other things.
That shows how little the Parliamentary Secretary knows about the matter. Is he not aware that it is tantamount to this: that if we were to subsidise the production of tea at a cost of £1 per lb. that could be equated against the losses we sustain by the British tariffs? This is a change in agricultural policy and has nothing to do with the question I put. Those responsible for the change in agricultural policy must find the money to finance it.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that when the Emergency Duties Act was discussed, in 1932, he stated that the whole of the burden of the British tariffs would fall on the British consumer? He says now that only part of it does. Will he say what part of it falls on the British consumer, and what has happened to make him change his mind?
That would be a very different and separate question if the Deputy put it down on another occasion.