asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware that wool is selling at 2/2 per lb. less than last year; and what plans his Department have to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their wool.
20.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Wool.
19.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries what arrangements have been made to dispose of the wool which will be offered for sale by the farmers of the western counties; and what price will be paid for the different grades of wool this year.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together.
I understand that prices for wool at such few sales as have been held so far this year are lower than they were this time last year but the decrease is not by any means as great as 2/2d per lb. The bulk of the wool produced here is exported and the prices paid to producers therefore reflect world prices, which have declined during the past year.
Is the Minister aware that in County Westmeath last year wool was selling at between 4/4 and 4/6 a lb. and that this year the price, not at a few sales, but at sales all over the county, is ranging between 2/2 to 2/6 per lb., which is a reduction of 2/2 per lb.? Further, does the Minister realise that as far as the small farmer is concerned now, his cattle, pigs and sheep are gone and now the price of his wool has gone and has he any plans to ensure that the small farmer gets a fair price for his wool?
(Cavan): And the road grants have gone too, so that the small farmer cannot get any work.
Deputies are not one bit worried about the small farmer, whether he has wool to sell or not——
(Interruptions.)
You would not know a small farmer if you saw one.
I know much more about them than the Minister does. There will be very few of them in a short time if the Minister is dealing with them.
I hope that they will be as well off as the big fellows so that there will be no difference——
It is a pity you did not think of that when you introduced the heifer scheme and put thousands of pounds into the pockets of the big ranchers.
The Deputy would not wish to take it out of their pockets.
Who got the Charolais cattle? It was the Minister's friends who have thousands of acres of land.