asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the plans he has to deal with the situation which would arise if intervention stores were unable to contain all the beef which is offered to intervention.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers (Resumed). - Intervention Beef.
49.
The whole objective of the measures recently introduced for strengthening the Community beef market, including in particular the higher import levies and the curtailment of third country imports by matching purchases from intervention stocks, is to obviate the eventuality postulated by the Deputy.
Is it not perfectly clear to the Minister, as it is to everybody else, that the real reason for the very serious situation in the beef trade at present is that there are very heavy importations of frozen meat from practically every source which can be found? Until this is arrested to a degree where the Community's producers can get their rightful share of the market this situation will continue. Therefore, the cure obviously is to stop the import from third countries.
I agree with the Deputy. We cannot get sufficient support for that view.
Does the Minister think there will be sufficient markets for the beef in September and October when we are producing the maximum numbers of cattle?
I hope there will be.
What will be the position if there are not sufficient markets?
I do not want to contemplate that at the moment.
50.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will state (a) the total quantity of Irish beef in intervention stores at present, (b) the total quantity of Irish intervention beef which has been disposed of since 1st February, 1974, and (c) the quantity that has been taken into intervention each week since 1st February, 1974.
The information is in the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
(a) 14,090 tons at 10th May.
(b) 125 metric tons.
|
(c) Week Commencing |
Tons |
|
4th February, 1974 |
689 |
|
11th February |
779 |
|
18th February |
855 |
|
25th February |
420 |
|
4th March |
774 |
|
11th March |
556 |
|
18th March |
663 |
|
25th March |
599 |
|
1st April |
1,146 |
|
8th April |
900 |
|
15th April |
521 |
|
22nd April |
608 |
|
29th April |
545 |
|
6th May |
842 |