asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries whether he will make a detailed statement clarifying, for the guidance of the County Limerick creameries which have always supplied milk to the Lansdowne processing plant, the significance for them of his policy announcement of 10th October on creamery rationalisation and milk processing; and whether he will indicate how the revised creamery rationalisation proposals subsequently published by the IAOS are likely to affect the position of those creameries in regard to the continuance or otherwise of their supplying milk to Lansdowne.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Creamery Rationalisation Proposals.
24.
In the statement of 10th October referred to by the Deputy, I indicated that the position of the County Limerick co-operative societies which have been supplying milk to the Dairy Disposal Company's processing plant at Lansdowne is tied up with developments in County Clare. I said that the choice of Cratloe as the location for the new processing plant for County Clare was made on the basis of those Limerick societies continuing to supply the Lansdowne plant.
The Parliamentary Secretary would not like to hand in the reply and have it published in the Official Report?
As production increases, their additional supplies of milk could be economically handled at Cratloe along with the supplies from County Clare as a whole. In my statement I pointed out that existing processing facilities and employment in any area must be utilised to the full before public funds could be expended on grants for further processing plants. I also said that, if the County Limerick societies concerned should not wish to support Cratloe, the Limerick grouping to which they may decide to transfer would have to take over and assume responsibility for supplying and operating the Lansdowne factory. I would like to emphasise this latter point. I pointed out in the statement that as a matter of policy I could not agree to any creamery amalgamations or changes which would have the effect of reducing the milk supply to existing processing factories, nor would State grants be recommended for the creation of new processing facilities which would be likely to have that effect.
In the document on creamery rationalisation in the south which was published by the IAOS on 18th October, all of the County Limerick co-operative societies supplying milk to Lansdowne are visualised as being absorbed into other large creamery units. Indeed it is envisaged that one such unit would take over all but two of those societies. In visualising such a summary disposal of the sources of the existing milk supply to the Lansdowne plant, the IAOS made no provision for the future of that plant; they merely stated that it creates a problem and that "there is no ready solution to this problem and it is obviously one which would have to be discussed with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Dairy Disposal Company." I should explain that the IAOS document represents the view of the IAOS committee and does not claim to have the agreement of the co-operative societies in the areas concerned.
As I pointed out in my statement of 10th October, creamery amalgamation is a voluntary matter, no individual creamery society being forced into an amalgamation against the wishes of the majority of its members. The Limerick co-operative societies which have been supplying milk to Lansdowne have first to decide for themselves whether they will (a) continue to supply Lansdowne or (b) amalgamate with another creamery group such as is visualised by the IAOS.
On a point of order, is it not quite obvious that this is a planted question? Surely the Parliamentary Secretary should be allowed to do what the Minister for Justice did last week on a similar type of reply? This is a private matter dealing with Limerick people and should be published in the Official Report and not read out, thereby wasting Question Time which the Ceann Comhairle has objected to being wasted for the past half hour.
It is a matter for the Minister.
Why does he not suggest it?
I am sure the Ceann Comhairle is as unhappy as we are.
I want to say that it is not a planted question.
It sounds very like one.
It sets out the position in relation to the Lansdowne plant.
These creameries, and any group which may seek to absorb them, must however realise that, if the supply of milk to Lansdowne were to be prejudiced because of creamery amalgamation, public funds could not be expended on processing facilities elsewhere for handling milk supplies hitherto sent to Lansdowne. If the Limerick creameries concerned decide to continue to supply milk to Lansdowne, they might well consider the advisability of their getting together with the aim of ultimately taking over, in conjunction with Clare creamery suppliers, both the Lansdowne and the Cratloe processing plants. A final decision by the Limerick creameries in regard to their future arrangements and the basis of continuing supplies to the Lansdowne plant, which must be kept in operation as an integral part of the dairy industry, is now essential and I would urge them to come to such a decision without further delay.