I move:
That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft:
Pigs and Bacon Act, 1935 (Part II) (No. 3), Regulations, 1963, and
Agricultural Produce (Fresh Meat) Act, 1930 (Exporter's Licences) Fees Regulations, 1963,
copies of which were laid in draft before the Dáil on the 4th day of December, 1963.
In requesting the approval of the House for these Regulations, copies of which, in draft, have been laid before the House, I wish to make it clear that the object of the regulations is to give effect to a request made to my Department by the trade organisations representing the meat-export industry, namely, the Irish Fresh Meat Exporters Society, the Irish Bacon Curers Society and the Beef Canners Advisory Association. No revenue will accrue to the State by reason of the increased fees proposed, and my Department will pay over to the trade's own meat Research Institute an amount equivalent to the proceeds of the increases in the fees, plus the additional contribution being made by the State.
The meat trade is setting up a research unit, whose function will be to carry out applied research into technical requirements of the meat industry here—for example, methods of processing, canning and packaging meat for export. The arrangements are the outcome of discussions between the trade organisations, my Department and An Foras Talúntais. Operation of the meat research unit will be under the control of an institute which the trade is establishing for that purpose, namely the Irish Meat Research Institute Limited. Advice in regard to the research programme will be provided by a consultative council comprising six representatives of the meat trade—two each from the carcase meat, canned meat and bacon trades—together with two technical officers of my Department and two officers of An Foras Talúntais. State grants will be provided towards meeting part of the costs of setting up and operating the unit.
The balance of the costs will be met by the trade and the trade organisations have stated that they would experience difficulty in making a satisfactory arrangement, on a voluntary basis, for collection of the funds needed from their members to meet the costs of the unit. They, therefore, asked that the trade contributions should be collected by means of a special additional levy on animals slaughtered at all registered meat-export premises and bacon factories— at the rates of fourpence per head of cattle, a penny per pig and a halfpenny per sheep.
The only way at present open to me to meet that request is to amend the regulations governing the payment of statutory slaughtering fees to my Department so as to increase, by the amounts proposed by the trade, the prescribed rates of the existing statutory slaughtering fees and to pay over in due course to the Irish Meat Research Institute Limited, an amount equivalent to the receipts derived from the increase in the rates of fee. My powers of amendment of the regulations are, however, qualified by the relevant statutes, which provide that a draft of any regulations altering the rates of fee shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the regulations shall not be made until a resolution approving the draft has been passed by each such House. In the circumstances, a resolution approving the draft regulations now before the House is required to enable me to collect, on behalf of the meat industry, the moneys they have agreed to provide as the industry's contribution to the costs of setting up and operating the meat research unit.
Considering the importance of our meat trade in the national economy— our exports of meat and meat products in 1962 were valued at more than £31 million and accounted for 30 per cent of our total agricultural exports—I need not dwell upon the desirability of our having an organised service in operation here for the carrying out of research at trade level directed towards technical progress in the processing and treatment of meat and meat products. In the First Programme for Economic Expansion in 1958, reference was made to the benefit which the meat industry would undoubtedly derive from research into technical problems, and it was indicated that State aid would be made available to help finance such research.
Thereafter, my Department conducted a lengthy series of discussions with the trade interests with a view to arriving at a suitable arrangement for the setting up and financing of a meat research unit. An Foras Talúntais participated in these discussions and there will be appropriate co-ordination of activities between An Foras and the meat trade's research unit. Now that agreement has been reached in the matter, I propose to facilitate the trade organisations by amending the regulations regarding fees, in order to give effect to their request. By arrangement with the trade, the increased rates of fee will be applicable as from 1st July, 1963.
The trade research unit is being started on a modest scale. The extra levies now proposed are estimated to yield about £12,000 per annum and the further contribution by the State will be about £6,500 per annum towards operating expenses and about £5,000 in each of the first two years towards initial capital expenses.
