andMr. T. O'Donnell asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if his attention has been drawn to a statement in which the President of the National Farmers Union in the UK has advocated the restriction of exports to the UK of Irish fat cattle and carcase beef; if such action would be an infringement of the Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement, 1966; and if he proposes to take the necessary action to prevent further serious damage to Irish cattle exporters.

I have seen the statement referred to.

I stated in reply to a question on 21st July that under the Free Trade Area Agreement, British import restrictions cannot be applied to Irish fat cattle and beef except in the context of an International Commodity Arrangement which would apply not only to all supplying countries but to British home producers as well and that there is no such Arrangement in existence.

As Deputies are aware, the cattle and beef trade with Britain is the subject of discussions which are taking place with the British authorities at present and I intend to make a statement about the matter as soon as possible.

Would the Minister consider whether there is any foundation for this statement and any likelihood of what the Chairman of the National Farmers Union suggested being accepted by the British Ministry of Agriculture?

I have already indicated that this cannot be done under the Free Trade Agreement except in the context of an International Commodity Arrangement which would affect not only us and other countries sending cattle into Britain but their own producers but such an arrangement does not exist.

The export of Irish fat cattle and carcase beef to Britain is a binding agreement under the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Agreement of 1966 and does the Minister not consider that this statement by the Chairman of the National Farmers Union if it is true, is a direct refutation of that Treaty?

They are not a Government, Deputy.

No, but they have a big say with the British Minister of Agriculture.

I have given my answer to question and I cannot do anything more.

There is no guarantee in the Free Trade Agreement that the British Government would take a certain number of Irish cattle at all.

We have free entry.

Yes, if Britain wants them, she will take them, but if she does not want them, she need not take them.

You would not buy something you did not want. I would not.

Could the Minister say if there has been any official request from the British Government to restrict the number of cattle entering the British market for the next few months?

No.

Would the Minister agree that the loud-mouthed people who made all the gestures about the hundreds of thousands of cattle we had to spare, thereby making them so cheap, did a great disservice not only to the country and the cattle trade, but to the traders who were exporting cattle to the British market?

Hear, hear.

Including the Agricultural Institute.