asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the number of slaughter premiums that were paid to a factory (name supplied); the number of cattle and the tonnage of meat that were put into intervention in the period 1st August to 31st December, 1974, by that factory; and the percentages of their total kill in each case.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Slaughter Premiums.
32.
It is not the practice to disclose particulars of the business of an individual factory. My Department do, however, publish weekly data for the total numbers of cattle qualifying for intervention and slaughter premiums at all factories combined, as well as the average overall factory percentage of the throughput of cattle sold into intervention and the average overall percentage of cattle qualifying for the slaughter premium. The data published also indicates the number of factories whose individual percentages are above and below the overall averages. I can say that the factory referred to by the Deputy generally sells to intervention more than the average for all factories and has less than the average for all factories certified for slaughter premium. I take it that the Deputy got all that?
I thought the Parliamentary Secretary would give more information about how much has been supplied to that factory because he would have a personal interest in it since his brother is one of the biggest suppliers.
It is not the practice of this House to disclose particulars of the business of an individual factory unless some assertions are made that the factory is acting in some way contrary to the public or the national interest. In accordance with that practice the information given to the Deputy is appropriate. If the Deputy has further representations in mind they will be considered by the Department.