While I agree with the Minister that these provisions are to regulate exports in order to conserve foodstuffs in short supply, it is, perhaps, because of what is not in the Bill rather than what is in it that I want to say anything at all to the House. In regard to the methods by which our exports might be arranged and used to advantage, I want to say a few words. In dealing with a large part of our agricultural exports and almost all our fishery exports, it appears to me that we have to put ourselves into a new orientation. We have to see what method can be used to ensure that our marketing is done in a much better way than ever before. I would ask the Minister if he has considered what could be done by modern methods, particularly in respect of what is generally known as quick freezing, even where meat is concerned. It is highly desirable that we should ensure that the price we get for meat is comparable with the wholesale meat price in the country of import rather than in our own country.
I think there is a tremendous advantage to be gained in ensuring that we are able to sell our meat here, so to speak, as butchers' meat, and not frozen like the old method known as the Argentine method or the New Zealand method. Meat frozen by the old method destroyed the taste and the fibre of the product. The Minister will agree that there has been in recent years a tremendous advance in respect to methods known as quick-freezing and, as the result, it is possible to prove that under that method there is no loss of flavour, no loss in taste, no loss in substance and, in fact, no difference between the completely fresh product and that killed and treated in that way. It would be a tremendous advantage to us in respect to our meat if we could get butchers' price by reason of quick-freezing rather than merely live-meat price.
Whatever advantage there might be in respect of meat, an obvious advantage is to be gained in regard to vegetables, poultry, game, rabbits and even more so in respect to fish than anything else. This is a Bill both to regulate agricultural and fishery products, and I venture to suggest to the Minister first, in respect to fish, that they are the main problem. During the emergency the position was entirely different. From the point of view of the emergency problem, there was a real problem to deal with catches of fish in such a way that increased catches would not glut the market and bring down prices. I think I am correct in saying that in Kerry, in the early months of the year, there was a large catch of valuable black sole. If full advantage of that catch was taken, the market was glutted, prices were brought down and, in consequence, the fishermen were not willing to avail of it to the greatest extent. They were quite right. If they went out five days in the week they would probably get less than they would for two days, because of the way prices through the glut came down.
The shoal in the ordinary course moved from Kerry to the territory of Senator Hawkins and Senator O'Dea, in Galway. The same thing happened in Galway season and then the fish passed on to Killybegs and Donegal. If we are going to make a job of our fisheries it has to be dealt with on some basis of averaging catches over a period, and in such a way that the fixed charge for refrigeration is not going to be so high, by reason of the necessity to keep plants in Cork, in Kerry, in Galway and in Donegal. We must consider it, therefore, from the point of view of mobile plant. We must consider it from the point of view that a mobile plant is able to follow the fish.
I should like to take this advantage of inquiring from the Minister what views he has in that respect, and what policy he proposes to adopt. I think it is true to say that there is available, as a result of advances made in recent years, mobile refrigeration plants which could be utilised in the manner I suggest. It is common ground that necessity is the mother of invention and, so far as the warring nations were concerned, war necessity made them go further in regard to inventions than they would go in peace-time. War in the desert was one necessity that made very great advances in refrigeration. As a result there has been a tremendous advance in quick freezing and mobile refrigeration. It is possible to arrange now for a mobile plant to be available, which could be utilised at the particular area in which there was a "catch" at a particular time.
I am not clear about the Minister's control over the Sea Fisheries Association, but I hope he and his Department will ensure that considerable scope is given towards arriving at some method, by virtue of which we can utilise this new invention. I understand that such plants are operated on diesel oil. Córas Iompair Éireann and Cement Limited have converted their plants for the use of diesel oil. The fuel is available to do the job. From what has occurred I believe that there is something that might be termed a refrigerating lorry, which can do the job of a refrigerator, and then pass on the goods to something in the nature of a small furniture van, and be transported by rail or by road to the market or, what is much more important, they could be held for utilisation at the most suitable time.
In 1937 and 1938 a very small proportion of the available catches of west coast fish was used, because if all was used it would completely glut the market and there would be no possibility of dealing with it. As the situation appears to me, we must deal with it by some method that is going to average out over the whole year the available product, particularly in respect to black sole, for which a very high price is available during some months. It is during the first three months of the year that sole can be taken in substantial quantities in Kerry. It could be held—and I understand from technical people that it can —for an unlimited period in a mobile container. That would be a tremendous advantage as well as being an output for our fisheries.
One of the ways in which the Minister could assist, apart from direct intervention, is by saying a word in the ear of the Minister for Industry and Commerce. I understand that there is a duty of 50 per cent. on refrigeration plant. I do not think such plant is produced in this country. The duty must, therefore, be considered a customs duty as far as such plant is concerned. I understand that refrigeration has become one of the largest marketing schemes in the whole of America. A frozen fruit company has 750,000,000 dollars invested in the processing of food, and has enabled the product to be used by averaging over the whole year. It appears to me that there are great possibilities on these lines and that they are lines that should be developed and examined to the full.
I agree that speaking on technical lines I am referring to matters that are perhaps not directly germane to this Bill, but I should like to know what possibilities there are for perishable agricultural commodities being dealt with and particularly fish catches.
