Vol. 403 No. 10
14 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the volume, if any, of liquid milk imported into Ireland in the years from 1983 to 1990; the quantity and form of dairy produce imported in these years; the country of origin of these products; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The volume in tonnes of liquid milk imported into Ireland in the years 1983 to 1990 is as follows: 1983, 4,351; 1984, 2,645; 1985, 6,245; 1986, 438; 1987, 1,217; 1988, 333; 1989, 23,089; 1990 (January-August), 51,927. The rest of the information requested by the Deputy in relation to dairy products is set out in tabular statements which will be circulated in the Official Report.
The increase in imports of liquid milk in 1989 and 1990 is due to sales by dairy concerns in Northern Ireland of milk for processing in the Republic. The increase in whey imports in 1989 and 1990 from Great Britain and Northern Ireland is due to the market conditions obtaining in relation to that product.
Following are the statements:
Imports of Dairy Products*
|
Tariff Description |
1983 |
1984 |
1985 |
1986 |
1987 |
|
(Tonnes) |
(Tonnes) |
(Tonnes) |
(Tonnes) |
(Tonnes) |
|
|
Milk and cream, fresh, not concentrated or sweetened |
93,280 |
71,587 |
36,399 |
34,289 |
1,417 |
|
Northern Ireland |
93,203 |
71,432 |
36,240 |
34,097 |
1,292 |
|
Other Countries |
77 |
154 |
159 |
192 |
125 |
|
Milk and cream, preserved, concentrated or sweetened |
16,844 |
9,714 |
9,722 |
6,932 |
8,349 |
|
Netherlands |
401 |
1,245 |
1,077 |
792 |
1,055 |
|
Great Britain |
9,676 |
4,639 |
3,050 |
2,618 |
2,082 |
|
Northern Ireland |
5,088 |
637 |
3,605 |
974 |
2,452 |
|
Finland |
1,297 |
3,157 |
1,940 |
2,322 |
2,235 |
|
Other Countries |
383 |
36 |
55 |
226 |
525 |
|
Butter |
3,036 |
1,197 |
940 |
3,395 |
5,074 |
|
France |
— |
— |
— |
— |
893 |
|
Great Britain |
1,814 |
344 |
226 |
1,027 |
2,259 |
|
Northern Ireland |
725 |
452 |
306 |
1,820 |
1,741 |
|
Other Countries |
496 |
401 |
409 |
548 |
181 |
|
Cheese and Curd |
4,747 |
4,439 |
7,081 |
6,669 |
7,200 |
|
France |
262 |
313 |
284 |
593 |
973 |
|
Great Britain |
2,235 |
2,680 |
4,659 |
4,333 |
4,273 |
|
Other Countries |
2,251 |
1,446 |
2,138 |
1,743 |
1,953 |
* In January 1988, Ireland, along with most other countries, introduced a new Customs and Excise Tariff Classification based on the Harmonised Commodity Classification System. This resulted in discontinuities in the detailed level at which trade statistics were available.
Table 2
Imports of Dairy Products 1988 to 1990
|
Tariff Description |
1988 |
1989 |
1990 |
|
Jan.-Aug. |
|||
|
(Tonnes) |
(Tonnes) |
(Tonnes) |
|
|
Butter and other fats and oils derived from milk |
3,336 |
3,539 |
853 |
|
Northern Ireland |
145 |
2,948 |
197 |
|
France |
2,424 |
— |
30 |
|
Great Britain |
589 |
497 |
583 |
|
Other Countries |
178 |
94 |
43 |
|
Cheese and curd |
7,449 |
7,845 |
6,136 |
|
Great Britain |
2,942 |
2,669 |
1,943 |
|
France |
1,725 |
2,817 |
2,319 |
|
Northern Ireland |
691 |
894 |
900 |
|
Netherlands |
1,085 |
457 |
343 |
|
Other Countries |
1,006 |
1,008 |
631 |
|
Milk and cream, not concentrated nor containing added sugar or other sweetening matter |
455 |
23,212 |
52,231 |
|
Northern Ireland |
277 |
23,041 |
51,848 |
|
Other Countries |
178 |
171 |
383 |
|
Milk and cream, concentrated or containing added sugar or other sweetening matter |
6,450 |
2,538 |
824 |
|
Mexico |
3,897 |
— |
— |
|
Northern Ireland |
1,632 |
794 |
177 |
|
Great Britain |
753 |
1,667 |
513 |
|
Other Countries |
167 |
77 |
134 |
|
Buttermilk, curded milk and cream, yogurt kephir and other fermented or acidified milk and cream, whether or not concentrated nor containing added sugar or other sweetening matter or flavoured or containing added fruit, nuts or cocoa |
643 |
836 |
926 |
|
Great Britain |
305 |
303 |
196 |
|
France |
185 |
408 |
324 |
|
Northern Ireland |
61 |
92 |
358 |
|
Other Countries |
92 |
33 |
48 |
|
Whey, whether or not concentrated or containing added sugar or other sweetening matter; products consisting of natural milk constituents, whether or not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter, not elsewhere specified or included |
5,897 |
17,789 |
29,305 |
|
Finland |
2,358 |
2,156 |
927 |
|
Great Britain |
978 |
3,806 |
1,754 |
|
Northern Ireland |
202 |
9,061 |
23,696 |
|
Other Countries |
2,359 |
2,766 |
2,928 |
Is the Minister not absolutely shocked and horrified to think that we, a farming nation, are importing such huge volumes of liquid milk and dairy products in general? Is it not true that we have rising unemployment here? I wonder what his Department are doing to create jobs in this area? Surely many jobs could be created.
I have to say that the Deputy's question is essentially statistical. Matters of policy ought not to arise now; they should be tabled by way of additional questions at the appropriate time.
It is appropriate that in a dairying country the Minister should try to justify such imports.
It is a policy matter worthy of a separate question. Question No. 15 please.
Let the Minister answer.
May I ask a supplementary question?
Please, Deputy, I have a reply before me. It is essentially statistics that are involved here.
It was not all statistics. I object to that. We are not being allowed to ask a proper supplementary question to an ordinary question.
It is essentially statistical.
No, A Cheann Comhairle, I will have to take that up at a higher level altogether. That is stifling discussion.
The Deputy may not intimidate the Chair.
I object to that. That is the last thing I want to do.
I will hear a relevant question from Deputy McGrath but is must be on statistics.
Arising from those statistics perhaps the Minister will explain why there has been such an unprecedented rise in the quantity of, first, liquid milk imported into this country, second, is he happy that those statistics reflect the position in the dairy industry in Ireland, that we cannot produce enough of our own dairy goods, and, third, what is he going to do about it?
The Deputy has made his point.
The increase, particularly in 1989-90, in the volume of liquid milk is accounted for by the sale of raw milk by concerns in Northern Ireland for additional processing and thereby creating some additional jobs in this part of the country. In the general area of imports of milk products the position is that we are by far an exporting country but we live in a free trade area and the consumers will decide what type and variety of products they want. There are some imported products and I will circulate details of them with the official reply to the Deputy.
Why is it——
Number 15, Deputy Sherlock's question.
That is not interfering with our quotas and is resulting in jobs being created here. The Deputy should get his facts right.
Good man, Jimmy.
It is not interfering with our quotas and is providing jobs in our co-ops.
We have plenty here without imports.
Question No. 15, please.
Farmers are seeking additional milk quotas every day of the week.
Let us hear the reply to Question No. 15, please.
