asked the Minister for Agriculture whether in relation to his request to the Milk Costings Commission to submit a report to him before 1st March, 1958, he has now been informed that a report will not be available by that date; and, further, if he will furnish the Dáil with the contents of the letter handed to him by Professor Smiddy in connection with his resignation as technical director. and state what further correspondence he has received in this regard since then, and the nature of his replies.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Milk Costings Commission.
On the 22nd February, I received a letter on behalf of six of the eight members of the committee intimating that, while very considerable progress had been made in the preparation of joint comments by them, it was unlikely that the comments could be furnished before the 1st March as requested by me, but I was assured that the matter was being dealt with as expeditiously as possible——
"As expeditiously as possible." More power to Deputy Ó Briain.
It will not be 1/- a gallon.
Tá do chroí ag eirí suas. We worry about poor Deputy Ó Briain.
May the Minister now proceed to give the reply?
Shall I read it again, Sir?
Question No. 76.
On the 22nd February, I received a letter on behalf of six of the eight members of the committee intimating that, while very considerable progress had been made in the preparation of joint comments by them, it was unlikely that the comments could be furnished before the 1st March as requested by me, but I was assured that the matter was being dealt with as expeditiously as possible and that there would be no avoidable delay. The answer to the remainder of the question is in the negative. Now, has the Deputy anything else to say?
May I ask the Minister if it is a fact that he and he alone has been responsible for circulating the rumour in the dairying districts to the effect that the price of milk is about to be considerably reduced; so that when the Minister comes to make a statement he will leave the price of milk as it is and then there will be a rush, on a signal, to say he is a great man, that he did not allow the price of milk to go down? It is a fraud and he knows it is a fraud.
There were several other supplementaries the Deputy could have asked me and I could have given him the best of answers to them.
The Minister could, but he cannot answer that one. He knows quite well it is true.
Arising out of that reply, is the Minister aware that he and his colleagues, particularly in West Limerick, Cork and North Kerry, during the by-election campaigns, announced outside chapel gates and at fairs and markets that, in fact, the report of this commission was held up by Deputy Dillon when he was Minister for Agriculture, that in fact he had the report but would not give it? Now the Minister calmly announces that the report is incomplete. Let us have it whether any Minister for Agriculture ever saw this report.
I did not make any such announcement.
I was listening to him. I heard him make the announcement.
It was a fraud.
It all depends apparently on the League of Youth.
Cut the League of Youth out of it.
I made no such statement. I have received the director's report. If the Deputies have been following intelligently what I have done since I became Minister for Agriculture——
In the name of goodness how could we follow you?
Order!
I am afraid the Deputy is making me shy and that I shall be obliged to sit down. I have announced already that I have received the report of the director. On coming into office, I asked the members of this commission to see me. I had already received the resignations of their chairman and director. They asked me to appoint another chairman. I said: "Appoint one yourselves from among yourselves." They were not prepared to do that. They retired and a letter went from my Department to them giving them until the 1st March next in which to make their comments on the report I received and which I hold and which was sent to them also. I want Deputies to know that after the 1st March I shall be free to do what I like regarding the report and then the commission will no longer be in existence.
Can this matter be summarised? Is it not a fact that this whole business, inaugurated by the Fianna Fáil Government in 1952, was a dirty fraud and is still a dirty fraud?
Why did not you end it?
You gave birth to it; now you can strangle it.