asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware of the strong feeling on public boards who are dealing with the provision of fish as a food ration, that the setting up of a monopoly has had the effect of unreasonably increasing the price of fish; that allegations have been made that fish is being dumped in order to create a shortage and justify a demand for an excessive price to the consumer; whether it has been brought to his notice that four loads of fish were dumped in Galway on the 21st May, 1940, and, if so, if he will state by whom, and by what authority, and for what reason, and also what steps he proposes to take to remedy this unsatisfactory state of affairs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Fish.
I am aware that there exists among the members of certain public boards considerable misunderstanding of the position with regard to fish supplies and prices. If it is thought that anything in the nature of a monopoly exists in connection with the transfer of fish supplies from the producers to the distributors, I can give an assurance that such is not the case. Whenever the distributors find that their requirements cannot be met from home landings, they are specially facilitated in the matter of imports, and nothing done by my Department, or any agent thereof, would justify any unreasonable rise in prices charged to the consumers. There are no grounds for the allegation that fish has been dumped with the object of forcing up prices. About the date mentioned in the question, approximately 25 cwts. of fish (mainly ling, ray and conger) forwarded from some of the western islands reached Galway in a condition unfit for distribution, and, in the interests of public health, it was destroyed. There are serious transport difficulties in that area, and I am seeing what can be done to surmount them.
May I ask if, quite recently, two boats of fish came to Dublin, one with 180 boxes and the other with 260 boxes? The latter went to Grimsby. In view of the unsatisfactory position that exists at the moment, the Dublin Board of Assistance to-day received no tender for the supply of 200-lbs. of fish, with the result that the patients in the institution have to get a substitute food. Will the Minister consider the advisability of giving the Dublin Board of Assistance, or any other public body, the opportunity of importing fish themselves under licence? I am not at all satisfied with the Minister's reply on the question of dumping, because I know that boats are being delayed at sea so that they will not come into the Dublin market at a particular hour. That is a fact.
I do not think that is so. At any rate, there will be more opportunities for discussing this matter later to-day.
Would the Minister say whether the Fishmongers' Association applied for permission to build boats, or to purchase boats, in view of the unsatisfactory position that prevails on the market here at the moment?
I do not think so. As a matter of fact, I think that the Fish-mongers' Association cannot deny that during the last three years, on every opportunity that I got, I appealed to them to build trawlers so that we could have our own fish landed here.
Can the Minister say why fish, imported from Grimsby and sold on the Dublin market, can be obtained at a cheaper price than fish landed direct in the Dublin market?
I am not so sure about that, but, obviously, the Dublin landed fish would be better than the imported fish. The one important thing about fish is to have it fresh.
May I ask the Minister if, in view of the very unsatisfactory position that exists at the moment, he will give the matter further attention?
Certainly. I am giving it all the attention possible.