Gibbons, James M.Tuesday, 7 November 1978 |
Dáil Eireann Debate
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Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Disease Eradication.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 9, 10 and 11 together. I am very much aware of the vital im-portance of speeding up progress in the eradication of bovin...
He cannot test for a further 30 days.
I do realise the implications. It is a difficulty that sellers will have to face up to because there is no answer to the question of whether one can move diseased cattle and sell them to one's neighbo...
The rate of charges indicated by the Veterinary Union does seem to militate against people selling small lots of cattle. It does not exclude either private arrangements that may be made between the v...
The charge made by veterinary surgeons has been for a long time in the region of £4 per visit. If the same herd owner of a single beast or two beasts had to send for the veterinary surgeon for some o...
I do not know if it is relevant. I indicated in very good time that it was coming and the date on which it came into operation was 19 October.
I will deal with that question and Deputy Bruton's question together. The question of a re-test after the first test is purely a veterinary matter. My advice is that there must be an adequate waiting...
On the question of the possible redundancy of marts, there is absolutely no substance in this suggestion. On the day of the introduction of the test it is true that the number of cattle shown in live...
I was not imputing ulterior motives.
I should be grateful to Deputy Blaney if he would let me have any relevant information which would lead to the apprehension of people involved in the criminal activity of frustrating the disease eradi...
I do not have the figures but I am quite certain——
——that the rise in reactor herds during that period was absolutely appallingly high——
——and for Deputy Clinton, or anybody else, to seek to minimise the appalling cost of the cessation of testing is, to say the least of it, unbecoming—especially unbecoming on the part of Deputy Clinton...
When the question of the dispute between the Department of Agriculture, the Coalition Government and the veterinary unions arose Deputy Clinton did not have to contend with a hostile Fianna Fáil Party...
I have just been accused by the Deputy's colleague of being political.
I have been saying for the last half hour that it would not.
No, I would not because if you delay the scheme you prolong it and, if you prolong the scheme, you remove from herd owners of all sizes the prospect of selling from cleared herds at better prices. Th...
Deputy Donnellan should take the trouble to come in in time for questions and then he would hear the replies given. To stroll in late and start asking supplementaries which had already been asked and...
I am not so aware. A number of advertisements and press releases have been issued on the subject by my Department. Circular letters were sent to all veterinary practitioners and to marts. Posters w...
If I may, on the supplementary speech made by Deputy Donnellan, say that there has been an enormous amount of publicity given, especially on television, to this very subject and I would like to know w...
The cost of the pre-movement tests is a matter for settlement between the farmer and his veterinary practitioner. The normal interval between the commencement of tests and the availability of the res...
There was an understanding that the Community would help us to meet the cost of the eradication scheme. That understanding has been there for quite a long time.
I do not know that the matter was made a secret.
As the Deputy may have noticed, payment will not be made until next year and, since the period is so long, to begin to talk about it literally years in advance would be, in my opinion, unnecessary.
It is inside the next few days.
I do not deny this is an inconvenience to herd owners and I said so in reply to an earlier question. There is no getting away from the fact it is an inconvenience to herd owners but there will be oth...
That question has been asked and answered on many occasions.
Yes.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 15 together. The facilities at my Department's laboratory at Thorndale in Dublin are designed to cater efficiently for...
I should be grateful if the Deputy would let me have particulars of any undue delay that has taken place because I am assured by the Department, and I believe, that there is no undue delay. The sett...
I am not aware that the Central Laboratory in Thorndale closes down at any time.
I will.
If the Deputy puts down another question I shall be glad to reply to it.
The answer is yes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Milk Consumption.
The reason is that the powers available to me under the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966 extend only to the control of disease in animals. Human health regulations are the responsibility of the Minister ...
I am very well aware that both bovine TB and brucellosis are transmittable to humans. I am quite certain the Minister for Health is also aware of this. I recall asking the Minister's predecessor abo...
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Disease Eradication.
The check tests referred to by the Deputy will be made by veterinary practitioners, veterinary inspectors of my Department and lay blood samplers. As occurred last winter they will take place between...
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Identity Cards.
I have this under consideration at present and expect to make an announcement in the matter very shortly.
I do not think there has been unreasonable delay. I accept the import of the Deputy's question and, in my opinion, valid dated blue cards are a necessary adjunct to the disease eradication programme.
As soon as possible.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Disease Eradication.
The answer is yes. In the case of brucellosis a full herd test would be carried out without delay. At least one further 60-day herd test would be required before restriction of the herd could be lif...
Yes, in all cases of disease eradication there is not only the possibility but the likelihood of hardship and I see no point in concealing that or other disagreeable facts involved in a disease eradic...
The answer to the first part of the question is no. Accordingly, the second part of the question does not arise.
I do not remember the particular incident but we believe in this country in the 30-day pre-movement test, whatever Mr. Humblett says.
There was no effort on my part to conceal the many decisions made by the Council of Ministers. It is not the practice to return from every Council meeting in Brussels and publish a full account for p...
Obviously if I was attending the Council, as I almost certainly was since I am an assiduous attender of the Council——
——I confess that I do not recall all the business that was done at every Council meeting since I became Minister for Agriculture again.
I fear the Deputy is playing the junior barrister now and I must tell him that he is not very good at it.
Obviously if it was a decision of the Council, then I, as the Irish Minister, agreed to it. I am in favour of a 30-day pre-movement test for Irish herds. I think disease eradication cannot succeed u...
I would say that I performed that duty more carefully than any of my predecessors in that I have been warning since our accession to office that we were going to take on the business of disease eradic...
That is the unavoidable truth.
That question is verging on the idiotic and has no relation at all to the question on the Order Paper. I believe it arises from Deputy Bruton's desire to display his skill as a barrister. I suggest ...
Have the Deputies finished?
I did not evade them. The Deputy was very silent for the last four years and now he is beginning to spread muck again. The Deputy is good for nothing else except muck spreading. (Interruptions.)
It has no relation to the question on the Order Paper. If the Deputy wants an answer to that question—I cannot imagine why he should—I will be glad to give it to him if he puts down a question.
I am unable to give the date on which I first announced our intention to introduce the 30-day test. The question is idiotic but if an answer is required to it I will provide it. That is not the ques...
Those are all clever undergraduate debating points and they display the utter cynicism of the Fine Gael Party, as they displayed in Government, to the serious business of disease eradication. If I ca...
The answer is no. Under the EEC Commission Decision addressed to the State on 19 July 1978 the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to implement our plans for the accelerated erad...
If Deputy Bruton is arguing for a postponement of the disease eradication programme I am telling him that there will be no postponement. His suggestion that there was some connection with the announc...
The statement referred to and the similar one included in the previous Bovine Tuberculosis Order are in accordance with section 19 of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966. It is based on the statistical...
I cannot quite follow the Deputy's reasoning. I do not know what point he is trying to establish.
I do not know what the Deputy is talking about.
I believe the country was declared attested in 1966. Since then there have been changes in the method of applying bovine tuberculosis testing. The statement at that time may have been true enough in...
What statement did I make?
I am afraid I have not got the document with me.
I have not got the document with me.
The declaration is at present required to be completed in all cases where a TB herd test is carried out by a veterinary inspector of my Department. It is my intention to have the declaration completed...
The herd owner has a serious legal responsibility to present all his cattle for testing and he will be in breach of the law if he does not do that. The test will not have been properly carried out unl...
Yes. It will be necessary for a herd owner to certify that all cattle have been presented for testing.
Written Answers. - State Board Appointments
Following is the information requested:
Written Answers. - Land Acquisition and Division.
The information requested is contained in a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report. Land Commission records are not compi...
The Land Commission have no proposals for the acquisition of the property referred to.
Written Answers. - Educational Farm Centres.
Proposals relating to agricultural education centres are included in the programme of additional structural measures for the development of agriculture in the West of Ireland which I have submitted to...
Written Answers. - European Monetary System.
I would refer the Deputies to my statement in the House on 19 October in which I dealt at some length with the implications of EMS for the common agricultural policy in general and Irish agriculture i...
Written Answers. - Land Acquisition and Division.
The information requested is set out in the following table. It is hoped that the cases marked with an asterisk will be wholly or partly allotted within the coming year. County Roscommon Particulars ...
The information requested is set out in the following tables. It is expected that the cases indicated with an asterisk will be wholly or partly allotted within the next six months. County Laois Part...
Written Answers. - Cattle Disease Eradication.
Ideally all farmers should keep records of births, deaths, acquisition and disposals of cattle. For the time being, I propose to use the powers conferred on me by the order in cases where I am satis...
The diamond shaped ear-punch has been used down through the years to identify both TB and brucellosis reactors. The system has worked well and I see no good reason for using different shapes of punch ...
My Department's officers, who are responsible for the operation of all aspects of the disease eradication schemes at local level, are quite clear as to what constitutes effective isolation of an incon...
Following is the information sought:
The time limit will be fixed in each individual case, with due regard to the veterinary aspects of the herdowner's situation. A herdowner who feels aggrieved at the application of this provision is f...
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