Vol. 462 No. 4
44 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the proposals, if any, he has to introduce an emergency aids to private storage scheme for beef as a means of relieving hardship to beef producers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4699/96]
Since the EU Commission cut export refunds last autumn in an effort to achieve a more orderly flow of licence applications to comply with GATT export restrictions, I have impressed on the European Commission the need for measures to ensure that Irish beef producers receive adequate prices for their cattle.
The measures I have put forward for consideration by the Commission include an increase in the export refunds and an aids to private storage scheme.
As regards an APS scheme, the Commission have indicated that the market situation does not warrant such action; that such a scheme could not in any event be introduced within a time scale which would bring any short-term benefit to the industry.
I have already outlined in detail the efforts I have made to date in the matter of export refunds. The Commission have responded to these efforts by increasing export refunds on two occasions in recent months — by 14 per cent in early December and by 5 to 7.5 per cent earlier this month. However, the Commission has so far resisted the idea of any further immediate general increases on the grounds that cattle prices are reasonably high in the Union and that applications for export licences both in Ireland and the EU as a whole under the new refund rate are substantial. I am continuing to press for early action on refunds either on a general or selective basis. The matter is still before the Commission.
