asked the Minister for Agriculture whether under the powers conferred on him by Section 137 of the Pigs and Bacon Act, 1935, he will require from the Pigs Marketing Board (1) a return of the moneys they have collected under Section 147 of the Pigs and Bacon Act, 1935, from curers; (2) statistics of any payments made out of the fund so collected; and information as to the basis on which such payments, if any, were calculated.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Pigs Marketing Board Statistics.
Dr. Ryan
I do not propose to ask the Pigs Marketing Board to furnish the returns suggested by the Deputy. The annual statement of accounts for the year 1936 which the board are under statutory obligation to prepare and transmit to me as well as to every licensed curer on or before the 31st March next may in due course be obtained from the board by any person interested.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, is he aware that at the present moment the Pigs Marketing Board is illegally and fraudulently transferring the funds of the hypothetical price fund to the curers in order to compensate the curers for any losses that the curers may have sustained on bacon exported to the British market during the past twelve months? Does he not himself remember that he gave an undertaking that the hypothetical price fund would be used exclusively for the purpose of increasing the price of pigs for the benefit of producers during the months of February, March, April, May, and June?
Dr. Ryan
The first statement made by the Deputy could only be made by someone entirely irresponsible. It was a very serious statement to make. Of course, the statement is untrue, but that is nothing strange from the Deputy.
Does not the Minister know that the Pigs Marketing Board is making payments at the present time to the curers out of the hypothetical price fund in respect of exports to Great Britain during the last twelve months?
Dr. Ryan
I say the Deputy is not speaking the truth.
Does the Minister not know the facts, and if he does not know will he ask the board to tell him? Is the Minister the only man in Ireland who does not know that fact?
Dr. Ryan
I know more than the Deputy about it.
Owing to the highly unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply, I beg to give notice that I propose to raise this matter on the motion for the adjournment.
I want to draw the attention of the Chair to the Minister's statement. He said that the Deputy was telling an untruth. I remember that I had to leave the House on one occasion for saying the same thing in different language.
The difference in the language used may have accounted for the Deputy's trouble. The Minister should not have made the unqualified statement. Deputy Dillon, on further consideration, will agree that he ought not apply the word "fraudulently" to the administration of the funds of a Board which has no redress in this House.
If I was in any way irregular I beg leave to withdraw the expression.