asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that several dairy farmers, who supply the City and County of Dublin with considerable quantities of milk, and who own about 70 acres of land and 50 cows, will find it necessary to reduce considerably their herds, and, consequently, the volume of milk produced, as, in addition to complying with the Compulsory Tillage Orders, they must reserve considerable acreage of root crops for cattle feeding; and that the balance of their lands is insufficient to provide adequate grazing for their cattle; and whether, in order principally that there shall be no reduction in the milk supply position, he will have individual applications from these dairy farmers, for exemption from the application of the Compulsory Tillage Orders, considered on their merits on reports from tillage officers of his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Position of Dublin Dairy Farmers.
I am aware of the circumstances on dairy farms of the size and type referred to by the Deputy, and of the circumstances of milk producers generally. I do not accept the contention that the volume of milk produced in 1947 will be adversely affected by the operation of the Compulsory Tillage Order. Apart from the fact that the vast majority of milk producers are in a position to comply fully with the requirements of the tillage Order without reducing their output of milk and that, in fact, compliance on the part of milk producers with the Orders has, up to the present, been generally satisfactory, I cannot, in view of the present critical food situation, consider any general abatement of the tillage requirements of any class of milk producers.
The Minister, I am sure, is aware that there has been a reduced supply of milk from the county to the city. I suggest that the dairymen in the county who supply the city had to reduce their herds and some had to give up the business altogether because of the circumstances to which I have referred in my question. Will the Minister consider individual cases on their merits, where farmers have a big number of cows, but have not sufficient land to comply with the Compusory Tillage Order and at the same time grow crops for and adequately graze their cattle?
The Minister will continue the practice that has been in operation for the past six or seven years in relation to this particular type of producer and, while it may not be entirely satisfactory from the dairy farmer's point of view, it is the best I can do for him. There are a number of people looking for exemptions; in fact, they are providing themselves with exemptions from the tillage Order and I am very much concerned to get after those people rather than to occupy the time of my Department investigating such matters as have been referred to by the Deputy.