asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the amount of creamed rice imported into this country over the past year; and if he will prohibit further imports in view of the fact that this product can now be manufactured in Limerick.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Creamed Rice Imports.
46.
Creamed rice is not recorded separately in the import statistics and I am not aware of any project to manufacture the product in Limerick. Creamed rice imports are subject to customs duty and package duty but a general quantitative import restriction thereon would not be consonant with the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement or the position that will obtain on accession to the EEC.
Is the Minister not aware that all our creamed rice is imported? Is he not aware also that in Limerick there is an organisation who are capable of producing creamed rice that would be as good as, if not better than, the imported quality? We are concerned with the creation of employment in the Condensed Milk Company and it is on behalf of the workers of that company that I speak.
The Deputy must be aware of the increased output of milk that has taken place in the last year or so and of the greater employment that arises from it. He must be aware also of the great diversification of activities in the Limerick plant. If the company decide that the manufacture of creamed rice would be a profitable enterprise, I am sure they will examine that possibility.
The Minister is aware that this company is another Dairy Disposal Company organisation. The Dairy Disposal Company have been so inept and lackadaisical in their approach that we are being deprived of further employment in Limerick.
I do not accept that the Dairy Disposal Company are inept in any way. The amount of diversification that has taken place within the dairy industry generally, and in the Dairy Disposal Company's district of operation also, has been greater in the last couple of years than it has been for decades. The Deputy is aware of that.
That is because we put the fire under them.
I never knew that.