asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries what steps he contemplates towards the revitalisation of the sheep industry and the expansion of the sheep population.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sheep Industry.
59.
Effective measures have already been taken for the development of the sheep industry, including the sheep subsidy schemes under which payments to flock owners for the year 1971 amounted to almost £1,800,000. Exports of mutton and lamb are also supported under the export guarantee scheme under which support payments amounting to £726,000 in the first nine months of the present financial year have been made.
Is the Minister not aware that the export figure of £3,500,000 is far below the potential, that if a proper marketing exercise was done the potential would be improved, and that at the moment our sheep population is not geared to take advantage of the Common Market in relation to this product?
I accept that the potential of the market in mutton and lamb will be greatly improved on our accession to the EEC and that it is necessary to support the sheep industry in every way possible. I again say that the measures that have already been taken by the Government in relation to the total size of the export market are not something to be sniffed at.
Would the Minister not agree that, while the quantities of money being expended on the sheep industry in relation to its total exports are quite substantial, the effectiveness of this expenditure is very small indeed, and that the figures for the present level of the growth of the sheep industry indicate that it is not gearing itself to take advantage of the present opportunities? Would he not, therefore, agree that it is not simply a matter of the quantity of the money but the nature of the initiatives taken and that these, on the current showing, are unsatisfactory?
I accept that the amount of money, considerable although it is, needs to be examined with the improvement of its deployment in mind. How this can be done is a very difficult question to answer. I discussed it at great length with the sheep committee of the IFA yesterday. I would welcome any other constructive suggestions in that regard, because I appreciate that the sheep industry in relation to other sections of the farming industry is not going ahead as much as I should like it to. One aspect that cannot be lost sight of is the fact that the livestock numbers, the numbers of cattle, are increasing so rapidly as to make it likely that this increase is impinging somewhat on the keeping of lowland sheep.
60.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the sheep population of the country at at June 1960, 1965 and 1970.
The numbers were: 1960, 4,314,130; 1965, 5,013,700; 1970 4,082,300.
The point I am making is that the sheep population is falling and that this is a pity. I think the Minister appreciates the seriousness of the situation. Has he had any discussions with CBF on this matter at all?
Not recently, but these figures are somewhat selective. They demonstrate that the sheep flock rose in numbers through the mid-sixties and thereafter dropped somewhat. At present the figures would seem to indicate that they are on the rise again.