asked the Minister for Lands and Agriculture if it is the intention of the Executive Council to give legislative effect to any of the recommendations made by the Committee of Inquiry into the marketing of live stock in the Saorstát.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - MARKETING OF LIVE STOCK.
The Department of Lands and Agriculture have already made an Order (dated 29th ultimo) embodying a number of the recommendations of the Committee referred to. I am sending the Deputy a copy of the Order, which was published in the Irish Oifigiúil of 3rd instant.
Other recommendations of the Committee are at present the subject of inquiry and correspondence with the interests concerned. In some instances, the carrying out of the recommendations would entail new legislation.
Arising out of that answer, will the Minister inform us if the Order includes any improvement in the matter of holding fairs in the streets instead of in the fair-green?
Mr. HOGAN
The Committee of Inquiry made a score of recommendations. The Order includes about one dozen of these recommendations. One recommendation dealt with the holding of fairs in fair-greens and not in the streets. That is rather a contentious question and the recommendation was not unanimous. At the moment, correspondence is going on between the parties concerned. If, of course, we arrive at anything like a unanimous decision, or some decision which we can support, we will take steps to put that particular matter into operation. As I say, it is a highly contentious matter, even amongst the interests concerned.
Is the Minister aware that the recommendations put in force are rather drastic? They do not take into consideration the bulk of the cattle in the waggon, but the number of cattle in the waggon only. Now they are making the matter ridiculous by insisting on putting only six or seven cattle into a waggon.
Mr. HOGAN
A recommendation was made by the Committee to the effect that cattle should be so loaded in a waggon that there would be sufficient room for one man to move amongst them. That is the recommendation. The cattle are to be loaded in such a way that one man can move through the waggon. It is not a question of putting five or six more or less into the waggon. It is a question, possibly, of putting one animal less into the waggon under this Order. It is, of course, a matter for the railway companies to administer that properly. That is the Order they have got. I doubt if any railway company would insist on only half filling the waggon. The point of view of the owners of the cattle would be to insist on filling the waggon, but I do not expect that any station-master would say to the owner, "I have an order here that you are only to put six or seven cattle into the waggon." If any station-master has been doing that, we are not to blame. I find it difficult to believe that any station-master would do that.
I think if you will inquire as to what happened at the Cabra Junction yesterday, you will find that it was done.
Mr. HOGAN
I will, but you must remember that a considerable section of the cattle trade are not in agreement with this Order. A section of the cattle trade hold that they should be allowed to put in as many cattle as the waggon would hold. I daresay there will be a lot of criticism on those lines. I will inquire as to what happened at Cabra.