asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is satisfied that there is an adequate number of meat plants remaining open to kill and process the number of beef cattle on offer.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Beef Processing Plants.
3.
Mr. Leonard
The answer to the Deputy's question is `yes'. Throughput of cattle at meat plants is seasonally low at this time of the year. Most plants have remained open but are at present operating at less than half capacity.
(Limerick West): If we had greater incentives to hold cattle over the winter, thus relieving the autumn glut, it would relieve the problem. Would the Minister consider pressing our EC partners on this point? I appreciate that he has little or no control as to what can be done with regard to meat factories. Nevertheless there is a question of seasonality——
There is also a question to be asked.
(Limerick West): Would the Minister consider pressing his EC partners on this point?
Any measure adopted by the EC has to be on a Community-wide basis and there is no question of us getting a derogation in this regard.
The Minister has stated that there is adequate capacity and I should like to know if he has looked at the regionality of this. In other words, are some areas better or worse off than others with regard to plant capacity?
The plant capacity here is quite sufficient.
Is there any difference within the regions?
At the moment it is only being used to half capacity. I do not think regionality is a major factor.
If there is spare capacity in Cork it is not much help if there is not spare capacity in Monaghan.
I appreciate the point being made by the Deputy, but I must point out that extremely generous grants are provided by FEOGA. There has been a considerable upturn in the way those grants have been utilised in the past year or so, but it is a matter for the industry itself. If there are cattle available I have no doubt that the industry will provide a plant. The beef processing industry is probably the most buoyant one we have in the agri sector here.
Has the Minister's attention been drawn to recent adverse publicity regarding beef and red meat generally to the extent that we lost our Triple Crown because our players were consuming many of those products?
The Triple Crown does not have a lot to do with the question.
What steps is the Minister taking to counter this negative publicity?
The Deputy would make a fine second row player and our team seems to be deficient in that area.
The Minister should kick to touch.
I do not know the basis for the publicity although I saw it. I do not know how genuine it was but, if it is true, it certainly was not a good advertisement for our beef industry.
It is in accord with a pseudo-scientific theory. We make good butter.
One cannot beat a bit of brawn and muscle.