asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he will restore to pork butchers their right under the Pigs and Bacon Act to buy and cure limited numbers of pigs for their bacon customers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Pig Curing by Pork Butchers.
In view of the existing position in the bacon curing industry, I am not at present prepared to restore the right referred to by the Deputy.
Is the Minister aware that these pork butchers habitually cure 15 per cent., or some approximate share, of the total supply and supply it to their retail customers and that when the Minister withdrew from the pork butchers the right to cure this quantity of bacon their retail customers could not get bacon anywhere? Will the Minister consider that aspect of the situation with a view to restoring to the pork butchers at least part of the right they enjoyed, even if it were confined to certain parts of the bacon?
That is an aspect of the case which the pork butchers did not put to my Department. The argument they used was that there might be certain waste if they were not allowed to cure. I think that after some discussion they admitted that during the cold weather there was no hardship so far as their business was concerned and agreed that we should rediscuss the matter before the summer comes in. So far as I can remember, they did not put the point the Deputy is now making with regard to the customers and the supply of bacon.
Will the Minister look into that with a view to allowing pork butchers to cure streaky bacon for the convenience of their customers?
The whole thing will be reviewed in the course of a couple of months before the hot weather comes in.