asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that there is an acute shortage of butter in the West of Ireland at present and what steps he proposes to take to remedy that situation.

No complaints of an acute shortage of butter in the West have been made to me. Owing to severe weather conditions, home production of creamery butter is appreciably less than at this time last year, and there is, accordingly, a general shortage, to the extent of this deficiency, of Irish creamery butter. The deficiency is being made good by the importation of creamery butter.

Is the Minister aware that, on last Monday morning, in more than one town in the West of Ireland, there was no butter, and that several people went without butter on their bread because there was no butter to be had at any price? Is it true that, while that state of affairs obtains in the West of Ireland, butter is being exported to Continental countries at, approximately, 9d. per lb., while our people are being charged 1/5 and 1/6 per lb. when supplies can be got?

The Deputy's statements are not all true.

I think the Minister ought to give us a categorical answer to the question. The fact that there was no butter in Ballaghadereen and certain other West of Ireland towns is personally known to me. I want to ask the Minister if it is true that, while that state of affairs obtains in the West of Ireland, we are shipping Irish butter to Continental countries for about 9d. per lb. while our people who can obtain butter are being asked to pay 1/6.

No complaint reached my Department of a shortage of butter in the West. The Deputy's question was the first intimation to me of anything of the kind. It is true that we are exporting butter to the Continent, but not at 9d. per lb.

At what price?

I could not say at the moment—probably at about 104/- or whatever the top price is on the British market.

11d.

Is the Minister aware that the increased price of feeding stuffs is responsible for the shortage of butter?

No.

Will the Minister consult the local cow-testing associations on that?

I should like to state that, in my own home district, it was impossible to buy butter and we had to get butter in Dublin.