asked the Minister for Agriculture if the statement in the EEC Council press release 6505/80 on the Agriculture Council meeting of 21-24 April 1980 that there was consensus on the principle that the disposal cost of any additional milk delivered to dairies should be the responsibility of producers themselves is (a) accurate and (b) acceptable to the Irish Government.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Additional Milk Disposal Cost.
24.
At the meeting of the Council of Ministers which ended on 30 May there was agreement on the prices package for 1980-81. This agreement included acceptance of the principle that the cost of disposal of additional milk be borne by producers. In the context of an overall satisfactory package, which does not include the Commission's super levy proposal, this general principle is acceptable. The press release to which the Deputy refers also pointed out that there are still differences of view over the form and the arrangements for applying any additional levy. This refers to my opposition to the principle of a super levy as proposed by the Commission to which the Government remains firmly opposed.
Would the Minister of State not agree that the acceptance by his Minister of this general principle creates the danger that, in the event of the existing price package not getting rid of the surpluses, the Minister will have been seen to have agreed to the possibility of a super levy being introduced in a subsequent year.
No way.
Can the Minister give a definite assurance on that?
We are totally opposed to a super levy.
That is a different question. May I ask the Minister: what does he mean when he says that he has agreed to the general principle that producers should pay for the disposal of additional surpluses? How will that be paid for in the future?
This year, to my knowledge, a twopence per gallon levy has been agreed.
Then would it be possible to interpret this agreement by the Minister that, in the event of the twopence not getting rid of the surpluses, the Minister has now agreed in principle to the possibility of further increases in the co-responsibility levy indefinitely in order to get rid of these surpluses?
Certainly we are opposed to a super levy. That is something that people on that side of the House have pushed to one side as if it never existed while the possibility of it was always there.
The Minister has enough to do to watch his own side.
What we are worried about is what the Minister has agreed to.
Question No. 25.