asked the Minister for Agriculture the plans he has to help the plight of small farmers, particularly in mountain areas, who are now faced with a very serious situation with the prospect of getting low prices for their lambs and whose income will be further reduced by lack of demand for their breeding ewes.

The overall market for Irish lamb recently has been affected by a falling off in effective demand for imported lamb on the French market, our main export outlet. The best means of securing the highest prices on that market is to supply the type of lean, well-conformed lamb carcase for which the French consumer is willing to pay a premium.

Ewe numbers are, of course, continuing to expand, especially in lowland areas, an increasing number of these ewes are drafted from mountain flocks. A hill cross ewe project initiated by my Department in 1983 is now operating in most hill sheep areas. This project will be expanded and should lead to a further increase in demand for good class mountain type ewes.

It should also be borne in mind that the 1984-85 ewe premium under the sheepmeat regulation, which will be paid shortly, will be as much as £15.98 per ewe. This increased rate will provide a valuable boost to the income of flockowners.

Would the Minister accept that the present uncertainty in this trade, as well as the other penalties which farmers have had to suffer by way of loss of the farmers' dole in the last few years, is another blow to the security of the small farmers in the west, particularly in the mountainous areas?

No, I do not. There is always uncertainty in the lamb and beef trades and there are fluctuations over which we do not have any control. The Paris market, the main export market for Irish lamb, is notoriously unpredictable. This year, when we might have expected greater consumer demand from the spring to the middle of the summer, that increase has not materialised and this has resulted in a weakening of our lamb market. At present lamb averages 99p per lb., which is 3p less than for the same period last year. This is due to a drop in consumer demand, but that is just a fact of life over which we have no control.

Would the Minister accept that in the last few years there has been a steady drop, that farmers have a fair idea where they were getting to in relation to their production? Would he accept that at present there is a terrible uncertainty in this trade, and what is he proposing to do to allay the fears of the small farmers?

There are fluctuations in this market so there will always be an amount of uncertainty. As regards the other point made by the Deputy about the income of the small farmers, I should like to point out, as I did in my original reply, that the ewe premium is now £15.98p, which is an increase of £2.85p over last year.

But they lost out last year.

It more than offsets any loss that the Deputy may have referred to. In fact, it is not a loss, it is a transfer of £1 from the owner of a fairly large herd who is a full time farmer to a person who has a relatively low income but also does farming on a part time basis.

That is £250.

It is no more than a transfer of £1 from one to another. Overall there has been an increase of £2.85p.

That is £250 out of the pockets of the small farmers.

Question No. 9 in the name of Deputy De Rossa.

Does the Deputy want that £1 taken away from the part time farmers? He cannot have it two ways.

I am not saying that, but the Minister has the option of raising it.

I have called Ceist Uimh. 9.

(Limerick West): Could I ask the Minister, as Deputy Gallagher has done, and I want to repeat it——

You should not repeat it, Deputy. That is the way the time is going.

(Limerick West): Are there any plans being made in the Minister's Department to ensure that there will be a proper development plan for those small farmers?

There is a proper development plan. ACOT at my request have been working on the quality of lamb produced and there has been a significant improvement. This year so far, slaughterings and exports of lamb, despite the uncertainty of the market, have increased by 19 per cent over the corresponding period last year.

These lambs that I am talking about are not yet for sale. They are still in the mountains.