asked the Minister for Agriculture if, in view of the fact that owing to the changes made by the Agricultural Wages Board mentioned in my question of 12th July which now make cost of production of milk by milk producers in the Cork Milk Board area slightly higher than cost of milk production in the Dublin Milk Board area, he will have the full investigation promised in his reply to Question No. 24 on 12th July carried out immediately; and, if so, when milk producers in Cork board area can expect to have their prices brought to at least an equality with Dublin milk producers and so end the present unjust position and give them an economic price, and prevent them going out of production.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Milk.
Mr. Walsh
I propose to have the investigation in question carried out as soon as it is practicable to make the necessary arrangements.
I cannot prejudge the results of the investigation and it is not, therefore, possible for me, as yet, to give the assurance asked for in the second part of the question. It is true that the minimum agricultural wage in the Cork milk area has been considerably advanced by the recent Order of the Agricultural Wages Board, but there are other important items of cost such as feeding stuffs and rent of grazing land which are not necessarily the same in both areas. Without a full and fresh investigation, it is obviously impossible to determine whether the present difference in the guaranteed minimum price to producers in the Cork and Dublin areas, namely, about 0.7d. per gallon, is or is not justified by the facts.