asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will give a breakdown of the number of producers sending milk to creameries by gallonage output per year for 1977 and 1978, with an estimate for 1979.

The total numbers of creamery milk suppliers in 1977 and 1978 were 74,000 and 72,600 respectively and it is estimated that the number in 1979 will be in the region of 70,000. The statistics collected by my Department do not include the quantities purchased from individual suppliers.