asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he intends re-negotiating the EEC compensatory payment on Irish cheese exported to Britain as this is calculated on the basis of a butterfat content substantially below the fat content of Irish cheddar cheese; and if he is aware that Irish producers are losing about ½p per gallon because of this.

The basis on which the levels of compensatory amounts payable on our export of dairy products to Britain are calculated was settled following prolonged pre-entry negotiation by my predecessor. The arrangements regarding cheese were a compromise solution which at the time was regarded as quite a satisfactory one in a situation in which a likely alternative would have been the determination of the compensatory amounts on the basis of comparative market prices of the product. I can see no prospect of a method of calculation more favourable to us being agreed to at this stage and I do not propose to reopen the matter.

Is the Minister aware that one of the chief factories will go?

I am afraid there is nothing I can do to help. There was a good arrangement, I think, arrived at in this area by my predecessor.