asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state (a) the date on which the export of Irish creamery butter commenced, (b) the countries to which it is being exported, (c) the total amount exported to date, and (d) the price paid by the wholesalers to whom it is being exported.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Exports of Irish Butter.
The answer to the Deputy's question is as follows:— (a) The commercial export of butter by creameries was permitted as from 3rd July, 1954, and the first consignment so exported was on 17th July, 1954. (b) The Six Counties, Great Britain and Germany. (c) The total amount exported from 17th July to 31st October (latest date for which statistics are available) was 21,215 cwt. practically all of which was exported by the Butter Marketing Committee. (d) My Department has no information as to the prices obtained by creameries for butter exported by them. The prices obtained by the Butter Marketing Committee for its butter exports to date ranged between 365/- and 376/- per cwt. for bulk butter and between 379/- and 395/- per cwt. for butter made up in rolls.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the quantity of creamery butter exported since the reintroduction of the butter subsidy, and the cost incurred by the Exchequer in respect of subsidy paid thereon.
As to the first part of the question 21,044 cwt. of creamery butter were exported during the period from 23rd August, 1954 (the date on which butter subsidies on the home market were reintroduced) to 31st October (the latest date for which statistics are available). As to the second part of the question, the cost to the Vote of subsidy on the butter exported during this period was £52,207 2s. 4d., in addition to which the Butter Marketing Committee has incurred a deficit estimated at £31,530 which will fall due for recoupment either from my Department's Vote or from the Dairy Produce (Price Stabilisation) Fund.
Does it not appear to the Minister to be a serious situation where our people will have to pay in that short period a sum of £80,000 to those outside the country to eat our butter? The position is still more serious in view of the fact that Irish butter outside this country is selling at 2d. per lb. less than the price here.
I shall bring the Deputy's observations to the attention of the Government.