asked the Minister for Agriculture the plans, if any, to initiate a livestock development programme for beef production, in view of the serious decline in the national beef herd.

While there has been a decline in the number of beef cows the total number of cows and heifers-in-calf has in fact shown an increase at the June and December 1978 enumerations.

Paragraphs 3.27 to 3.30 of the White Paper on National Development set out some of the Government's plans for the development of the beef industry. These relate in particular to the beef carcase classification scheme and the future roles envisaged for Coras Beostoic agus Feola and the IDA. The aims are to secure improvement in the quality of cattle, increased promotional effort in marketing and improved processing efficiency.

The current price situation for beef is of itself an encouragement towards the expansion of beef herds. I am, however, arranging for a publicity campaign to bring home to farmers the benefits to be derived from greater beef production through the expansion of cattle numbers.

The EEC Commission have also undertaken to make proposals for the encouragement of specialised beef production, and I will be urging the Commission to expedite the introduction of such measures with full Community financing.

I understand the Minister to say that he expects the beef incentive scheme will be financed 100 per cent by the Community?

I should hope so.

Could he give us any idea of the likely criteria that would be applied in this scheme? Would it be on the total herd or on the incremental increase in the herd?

I could not give that information at this stage, but the Deputy will be aware of the pressing needs within the Community to restrain the production of manufacturing milk. The Commission are very ready to listen to alternative uses to which milk could be put. That is the source from which the conversion scheme is available to Community farmers. In my view these measures would need to be reinforced. I have suggested at Council meetings that the co-responsibility levy, or part of it, could be used for this purpose.

Does the Minister expect that a decision will be taken on the beef cow scheme at the price negotiations?

It may well be, but I cannot give any undertaking——

I hope the Minister will press to have it done.

I will be very anxious because I find the increase of our beef herd very unsatisfactory. The origin of the sharp decline in our rate of increase was the error of admitting cows into intervention during 1975.

That is open to dispute.

That accounted for the slaughter of 650,000 cows in one 12-month period.

I dispute that. I did not ask the Minister about that, but if he wishes to engage in a political speech in response to a question he was not asked, it is only reasonable that I be given a chance to reply.

I urge the Deputy not to be so terribly touchy on this issue. The problem remains and it will be very difficult to deal with it. There is no harm in mentioning its origin, and that is its origin.