Vol. 195 No. 13
asked the Minister for Agriculture what steps have been taken during the past six months to secure (a) markets other than in Britain for surplus butter and (b) new markets for dairy products other than butter; and whether the steps taken yielded any satisfactory results.
22.
andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Agriculture whether alternative outlets have yet been found for surplus butter supplies; and, if so, what are they.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 22 together.
I am informed that An Bord Bainne has been carrying out market investigations in a number of countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. A quantity of butter has been sold in Germany and a number of trial consignments has been shipped to other countries.
Does that mean that the Minister himself has not done anything, merely passed the buck?
That is why we established this organisation.
To pass the buck?
No.
We established it to do this job better than we have been doing it for years, according to the experts.
Would the Minister state the other countries referred to?
There is a fairly long list—Nigeria, Cyprus, Malaya, Gibraltar, the Lebanon, Russia, Eastern Germany, Czechoslovakia, Western Germany, the United Kingdom——
Most of them are going through the Iron Curtain.
So long as the products go, I do not mind what curtain they go through.
Has the Minister investigated the possibility of markets in South America?
That is a separate question, I think.
It is from the list.
That matter is now in the hands of this organisation established by legislation passed through this House.
The Minister has washed his hands of it.
My hands never needed washing.
That is a matter of opinion.
