I received reports of secret payments amounting to approximately £5 million to be made to pig producers. I am informed that a series of meetings was held in April between officials of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and representatives of the Irish Master Butchers Federation, the pork slaughtering industry and the IFA representing pig producers. I am informed that at these meetings arrangements were outlined for the payment of approximately £5 million to pig producers and these provided for the payment of a premium of £1.50 per pig for each pig slaughtered between March 1993 and February 1994. The payment of such a premium is not permitted by the European Union and, as the money has not been voted for that purpose by the Dáil, it was necessary to come up with a method of laundering the payments through the industry.
I am informed that approximately £5 million is to be paid by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to CBF which in turn is to make payments from this sum to pork slaughterers based on the number of pigs slaughtered between March 1993 and February 1994 and that in turn they are to pass on the money on the basis of £1.50 per pig to pig producers. I am further informed that these arrangements have been hurriedly put in place in advance of the European elections and that the participants at the various meetings have been cautioned to keep the arrangements secret.
I am raising the matter in the House to enable the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry to make a statement. Is it true that pig producers are to be paid a premium of £1.50 per pig? What arrangements have been made by his Department for the payment of this premium? Do these arrangements and the payment comply with all European Union requirements? Why has there been such secrecy about the scheme? Where is the money to come from and when was it voted by the Dáil?
