asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the countries which were sold beef out of intervention in the years 1987 and 1988; and the volume and classification of the product involved.

33.

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the tonnage of Irish beef sold into intervention by Irish companies in each year from 1985 to 1989, inclusive, and the tonnage of beef purchased from intervention by Irish companies in the same years.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 33 together.

Sales of beef from intervention are made to individual EC purchasers and not to countries. The statistical data recorded in my Department and in other member states are in a format which complies with EC regulations. Accordingly, the details required by the Deputy are not available and to extract them would entail examining all sales files over the years in question, an exercise which it is estimated could take up to six months.

The Minister would be ruffling a few feathers also.

The amount of beef sold into intervention for the years 1985 to 1989, inclusive, is as follows:

All of this beef was purchased from Irish companies.

I wonder who the Minister is shielding. Is the Minister telling us that he cannot inform the House of the countries to which the intervention beef went? Nobody outside the House will believe that. Am I correct in saying that the CSO have that information? I am referring to the volume and classification. I wonder why the Minister cannot give me that information when the figures are in their possession.

The Deputy seems to misunderstand the procedures for purchases out of intervention. As I indicated to him, sales are made to individual purchasers and not to countries.

I am fully aware of that.

If the Deputy listened he would understand the consequence of his awareness. Member states keep the records in respect of purchasers because they deal only with purchasers. If I were to attempt to get the information which the Deputy thinks is immediately available it would mean doing a trawl of all member states, some of which do not have that information. In respect of my Department, as I indicated to the Deputy, such an exercise could take up to six months. I should like to categorically deny that something is being shielded.

It looks awfully like it.

If the Deputy understood the procedures——

I understand them.

——and inquired from the Commission about the procedures he would not have tabled the question.

I should like to put a straight question to the Minister. Have the CSO information on the volume and classification of meat that left the intervention stores in the years in question?

Of course they have the details of the volume and classification but it is in respect of individuals and not in respect of countries. There are literally thousands of files in my Department with that information going back over the years in question.

I am in a position to tell the Minister what the CSO figures are. There is something very wrong if that is the case.

The Deputy is eroding precious time.

If the Deputy is in a position to give information in reply to his question that is not available in member states he should give it to the House and enlighten member states.

The Minister should not be Minister for Agriculture and Food if he cannot give the information to me.