I commented last week on the terms of this motion. They are moderate. They are of a nature which could very well be met by the Government in view of the commitments entered into, but not honoured, in relation to the price of milk during the course of the last general election and in by-elections, by the present Government. Since that time other factors have contributed to a situation which makes the case to be made to-day even better than it was when those commitments were entered into. I was impressed by the fact that one Deputy on the Fianna Fáil Benches, Deputy Moloney, spoke here last week on this motion. That is quite contrary to the attitude of his colleagues who had not the courage to speak when the wheat price situation was under discussion. Indeed, one redoubtable warrior where wheat is concerned was known to have decamped hurriedly from the House when the Vote was about to be taken.
I should like to deal with the points made by Deputy Moloney. Since the general election the dairying farmers have experienced a very heavy increase in their costs of production. The cost of living everywhere has risen alarmingly. Efforts have been made to alleviate partially that situation for certain sections of the community. One of the most important sections in agriculture, the dairying farmers, has received no compensation of any kind despite the fact that costs have risen substantially and that they too must meet the rising cost of living.
This Government seem to have gone completely haywire on the question of surpluses. We know what they did in relation to wheat. They have adopted a similar policy in relation to milk. The recent White Paper—a commendable one—emphasises the advantage to our economy of the beef trade. The dairying industry is the foundation of our beef trade. It is the dairying industry which provides the valuable cattle exports, exports which make it possible for people far removed from agriculture to enjoy the standard of living they have. We know the measures that would have to be introduced to save our economy if we had no cattle exports.
We are grateful for the conversion of the present Government to the view that our greatest asset is our cattle population. But they must not ignore the fact that the people who are the foundation of that industry need assistance and encouragement to induce them to continue in the industry. They need assistance and encouragement to increase the number of milch cows. The last Government did much in that direction by way of the ground limestone scheme, the land project and the reduction in calf mortality from 80,000 down to 9,000 per annum. Those calves are to-day providing the beef exports from this country. The last Government are responsible for the fact that farmers now have earlier grass, better housing, improved facilities. It is in that situation that we have to-day an increased gallonage per cow.
Instead of help and encouragement, the present Government have imposed a levy on the dairying industry just as they imposed a levy on the wheat. Milk production is subject to extreme variation. Wheat has a certain stability. Deputy Moloney said he was sympathetic to the remarks made by both the proposer and seconder of this motion. It is somewhat odd that a daily newspaper which conducted a campaign in relation to milk during the time Fianna Fáil were in Opposition did not see fit last week to report as much as one word of what was said in this debate by Deputy Finucane and Deputy Wycherley. That is the kind of thing that casts grave reflections on us. It is something that ought not to be done.
The terms of this motion are moderate and we are not indulging in any extreme demand of the type to which we were subjected when we were in office. There is no demand to-day for 3d per gallon for milk. We were told that was the minimum producers should expect from the then Government. There has been an astonishing anaemia in the campaign in relation to the price of milk since the Fianna Fáil Government came into office.
Deputy Dillon earlier this year asked the Government to meet a fresh challenge. He asked them to assist the dairy farmers in meeting what is required of them to combat bovine T.B. Between 40 and 50 per cent. of the milch cows in the dairying areas are reactors. We appreciate the difficulties but, before steps are taken to reduce the problem to manageable proportions, we suggest encouragement should be given to voluntary participants in the scheme. We have the experience of what has been achieved in England as a result of such a scheme of voluntary participation.
We support the motion because it incorporates in it our argument that the Government should give an incentive of at least 1d or 2d per gallon to the dairy farmers who voluntarily participate in the eradication of bovine T.B. We believe that would assist the Government's objective— a laudable one—of eradicating bovine T.B. Ours is a positive suggestion. The disease is detrimental to future exports. The day the Government made it necessary for the Irish housewife to pay 4/4 for creamery butter was a black day indeed. That has contributed to a contraction in the home market. The Government will have to explain their provision of money to make it possible for the British consumer to eat Irish butter at 2/- a 1b.