asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will show statistically the improvement in egg production this year resulting from the subsidy of £130,000 appropriated from the turkey industry for the purpose of stimulating egg production.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Egg Production.
The arrangement whereby the proceeds of deductions from the export price of turkeys are utilised to increase the price of eggs came into operation in 1944. Statistics of egg production in recent years are not available, but the following figures show that the decline in exports which began in 1941 was arrested in 1944 and the improvement in the latter year was continued in 1945:—
|
Year |
Exports of Eggs |
|
|
Quantity |
Value |
|
|
Gt. Hnd. |
£ |
|
|
1941 |
2,700,355 |
2,743,434 |
|
1942 |
2,261,559 |
2,540,465 |
|
1943 |
1,641,633 |
1,859,027 |
|
1944 |
1,774,790 |
2,242,578 |
|
Jan.-Sept., 1944 |
1,738,815 |
2,189,603 |
|
Jan.-Sept., 1945 |
1,784,818 |
2,231,542 |
Does 1945 show an improvement?
Yes.
Does the Minister still contend that he is meting out justice by taking out of the pockets of one set of producers £130,000 to give to another set? Does he still believe that is morally just?
Yes.