asked the Minister for Agriculture if, in view of the fact that the flour millers have now accepted that standards of millability can be defined, he will consider having testing carried out in a laboratory set up under the auspices of the Agricultural Institute and not in a miller's laboratory as proposed by the millers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Millability of Wheat.
18.
The flour millers are responsible for the production of flour of the standard required by consumers and, unless agreement is arrived at between growers and millers as to what that standard should be, I do not think it unreasonable that tests to determine the suitability of wheat for the production of flour of that standard should be carried out by those who produce it.
Is the Minister not aware that standards have been agreed upon, that at last the millers have accepted certain standards, but that they will only agree provided they are allowed to carry out the testing? Does the Minister not know that the farmers have no confidence in the millers?
The Deputy cannot be allowed make a speech.
I am asking a question, Sir. Does the Minister not know that if these tests are carried out in the millers' laboratories, the farmers will have no confidence in them and the old, old row will continue?
The Minister is aware that the flour millers have published standards of millability, but the Minister is not aware that these standards have been agreed upon. First steps should be taken first.
I attended the meeting at which these standards were announced, and they were accepted by the representatives of the farmers on condition that the test would be carried out in an independent laboratory.
That information has not been conveyed to my Department.
If the information is conveyed to the Minister's Department, will he then agree to the suggestion Deputy Clinton is making?
I will agree because it was on my initiative in January last that this further attempt was made to define standards of millability. I realise that is the kernel of the whole situation. I am conscious of the fact that several previous attempts have been made to agree on standards of millability. If the parties concerned were to come to me with a proposition that they had now agreed on millability standards to be accepted by both of them, I should be glad to discuss the matter with them in the hope of reaching agreement on some compromise arrangement as to how that standard would be determined.