asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that, as a result of the increase in the price of home-produced offals, there has been a serious reduction in pig production, and, if so, if he will make a statement in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Mill Offals.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. Whilst the price of wheat offals, which is not of course officially fixed but fluctuates with world market prices, has increased during the past two years that increase has been more than offset by a fall in the price of other pig feeding-stuffs.
The fall in pig production has resulted from a reduction in the price for pigmeat exports to Britain following the reduction during the past two years of 31/- per cwt. deadweight in the guaranteed price for British home-produced pigs, to which the price for our pigmeat exports was very satisfactorily linked under the 1951 Pigs and Bacon Agreement. In this connection I would refer the Deputy to the fifth paragraph of my reply to a question by Deputy MacBride on 9th February about agricultural exports.
Is the Minister aware that his colleague, the Minister for Industry and Commerce, stated here that he had collected £170,000 by increasing the price of home offals to the price of imported offals and that on the 15th February last, in reply to another question, the Minister for Industry and Commerce admitted that by increasing the price of offals between August, 1954, and February of this year he had collected an additional £617,000? Does the Minister think that the pig feeders of this country can afford to have income-tax collected from them in this form by the Minister for Industry and Commerce to the extent of £617,000? Is not that the reason why the pig population has decreased by——
The Deputy must limit himself to the subject-matter of the question.
In reply to the Deputy's somewhat complex supplementary, I have to remind him that there is no restriction on the importation of wheaten offals and that if he can buy wheaten offals anywhere in the world cheaper than he can do so in Ireland he will have my blessing. Further, I wish to direct the attention of the Deputy to the fact that as of January, 1954, a combination of 30 per cent. maize meal, 30 per cent. barley meal, 30 per cent. wheat offals and 10 per cent. meat and bone meal cost £33 6s. a ton. The same combination to-day is costing £30 per ton. So, if the Deputy will now busy himself to procure from any other source in the world wheaten offals at a cheaper price than they can be procured in Ireland at the present time, he will be doing a good day's work.
Is the Minister further aware that as a result of his efforts and the efforts of his Cabinet, there is a reduction in the price of wheat of £5 per ton? If the Minister is not going to do his job I suggest he get out.
In further reply to Deputy Corry, may I direct his attention to the fact that the pig feeders of this country to-day have the advantage of access to wheaten offals from any part of the world where they can be most cheaply bought, free of duty, and that as a result of negotiations they are now guaranteed for four years access to the British market for all their pig production on a basis that is 10 per cent. better than is available to any other continental exporter to that market?