Vol. 400 No. 3
10 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline his views on a Commission proposal to reduce quota for dairy farmers as a mechanism to reduce butter stocks going into intervention; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I am not aware of any such proposal from the Commission. The Commission is, however, to prepare a report for the Council on the operation of the super levy system and to make proposals on what form the system should take after 1 April 1992. That report and the proposals arising are to be presented to the Council in the present quota year i.e. before April 1991.
Is the Minister aware that there has been an alarming increase in the amount of butter going into intervention, to the point where it is causing serious worry? The Minister has failed to regulate the market. There is a proposal by the Commission being put before the Council of Agricultural Ministers to reduce the farmer quota as part of the mechanism to balance the market. Will the Minister given an undertaking to the House that no such measure will be introduced in the context of the review he mentioned?
Modesty is not the characteristic of any politician and it is certainly not a characteristic of this one.
The Minister is very humble.
(Limerick East): The Minister has a lot to be humble about.
When the Deputy says that I have failed to regulate the market he must recognise that not even I, with all my power, can regulate the market. The market regulates itself. As a result of policies pursued by this Government Deputies will have noticed that there has been a substantial improvement——
The weather is good.
I know the long playing record.
Will the Minister take credit for the reduction in prices?
Deputy Hogan has asked some pertinent questions. Let the Minister reply.
This Tipperary team is playing a blinder.
This is reflected in the household income survey just published which shows that for the first time on record family farm incomes are higher than urban incomes.
Raiméis. Tell that to the farmers. The Minister will be in for a shock.
This is becoming untidy. We must move on to other questions
Will the Minister tidy up the matter by answering the questions I asked? Will he guarantee that no proposals will be implemented to reduce the milk quota in the context of the review of quotas in 1992 in order to alleviate the problem of the alarming increase in the amount of butter being put into intervention?
I have never found it necessary to give guarantees about rumours which have no foundation.
It is a proposal by the Commission.
It is not. There is no proposal. It is nonsense for me to be asked to give guarantees about something which the Commission have not contemplated doing and about which I have no knowledge. I will not give any such guarantee.
The Minister is out of touch.
