asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state what justification, if any, there is for the recent increase in the price of gammons from 235/- to 270/- per cwt. and if he will state whether he proposes to take any action to prevent the price of ham being raised by 3d. per pound to the consumer.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Increased Price of Gammons.
The price of gammons fluctuates widely in accordance with supply and demand. Some weeks ago it appeared that there was an unmanageable surplus of gammons. Having secured a highly remunerative market in Great Britain and the United States of America for canned ham, this surplus was quickly converted into a relative scarcity, with a consequential increase in the price bid for this product. I cannot feel that gammon or ham can be regarded as belonging to any category other than one of luxury, so long as other cuts of bacon and meat are in abundant supply, and therefore cannot contemplate any action by way of price control to restrict the exploitation of a valuable foreign market for this luxury product.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say if it is correct that there will be a virtual famine in hams this Christmas and can he say, further, if the price of hams has increased by as much as 45/- per cwt. not within the last couple of weeks but over a period of some two or three months and that bacon has similarly increased by £10 per ton? Can he give us any explanation why increased export prices should necessarily mean an increase to the Irish consumer, particularly in view of the fact that, when Britain exports coal, she still makes it available to the British consumer at £2 10s. od. per ton less than the export price?
He can, but he will not.
In other words, when are the curers' wings going to be clipped?
Will the Parliamentary Secretary say if it is the policy of the Government to export cheap hams and gammons to a country which is getting a price for coal and other commodities which she sends to this country which is much higher than the price at which these commodities are available to her own consumers?
Inasmuch as it is not contemplated to provide machinery for the control of gammons and hams, the price must necessarily depend on supply and demand.
Is it not true that this situation arises from two causes, one, the cooking and canning of hams for export and, secondly, the permission given for the driving of pigs across the Border?
To say nothing about election promises.