asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the steps that are being taken to find an outlet for milk produced in County Clare this season.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Clare Milk Outlet.
171.
The Dairy Disposal Company handles the great bulk of the County Clare milk supplies and has been incurring considerable expenditure in adapting its creameries there with a view to taking up by 1974 all the increasing quantities of skim milk now being offered for processing by milk suppliers in the county.
Would the Minister state what the position is with regard to the proposed milk plant in Cratloe?
I think the Deputy knows I have met the people concerned on a number of occasions. I think he himself was present at the last meeting at which I was requested to chair a meeting after the parties concerned had discussed the matter among themselves. I was asked would I chair a joint meeting between the Clare people and the Limerick people and I agreed to do that. I was not very anxious to do it. The parties have never come back to me since. I do not know whether they have had difficulties among themselves. They have certatinly not come back to say they want a joint meeting chaired by me and I do not know where exactly the matter stands at the moment. I know some negotiations are in progress.
If these people convene this meeting with the Minister would he then be in a position to make a final decision on this long standing issue?
I am waiting for the people themselves down there to make a decision as to what they want. I am sure they are anxious to make a decision but cannot make up their minds. I could do something, but I do not want to impose a decision on them.
Would the Minister be in favour of having a ballot of all the milk suppliers in the area to settle the problem? The ballot could be conducted by the Dairy Disposal Company and the other federated creameries. That might finalise the matter.
If a solution does not come up soon some steps on those lines will certainly have to be taken.