asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that much dissatisfaction prevails amongst the people generally in the Cahirciveen Rural District, Co. Kerry, because of the deterioration in the quality of the store cattle raised there for the past two years, resulting in a very serious loss to the farmers in this area; that this deterioration in the quality of the store cattle is attributed solely to the fact that, by the regulations framed under the Live Stock Breeding Act, 1925, no bulls other than those of the Kerry breed, with one or two exceptions, are permitted to be kept in this district; and whether he will hold an inquiry in Cahirciveen and so give the farmers concerned an opportunity of expressing their opinions on this matter before a representative from his Department; and of discussing the question of bulls generally with the view to relaxing these regulations where a demand is made for another class of bull, and to permitting farmers in this area to keep bulls other than Kerry bulls.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - THE LIVE STOCK BREEDING ACT.
Mr. HOGAN
The information at the Department's disposal goes to show that there has not been any deterioration in the quality of the store cattle in the Cahirciveen Rural District during the past two years, but that, on the contrary, a distinct improvement has taken place in the type of young stock being produced as a result of the operations of the Live Stock Breeding Act, and also from the location of high-class Kerry bulls under the Department's Improvement Scheme.
With the exception of two small compact areas—Ballymacarbery and St. Finans—in which cattle of Shorthorn type are kept, all the breeding stock in the district mentioned are of the Kerry type, and it is the Department's policy to maintain and improve that breed, which is a most valuable one for the conditions existing in the Kerry cattle area. In the two areas mentioned in which cows of Shorthorn type are kept, bulls of this breed are licensed and are available. I do not propose to hold a local inquiry, as suggested in the concluding portion of the question, or to alter the Department's policy for the maintenance of the purity of the Kerry breed in their native district.
Mr. O'REILLY
Is the Minister aware that many cattle dealers who had been in the habit of attending Cahirciveen Fair, have ceased to attend there now because of the poor quality of the cattle for the last two years? Is he aware, also, that there are very many farmers in that district who were able to sell their yearlings there, but that they cannot sell them now because of the poor quality of these cattle?
Mr. HOGAN
I dare say that people who came certain distances in order to get cross-bred Shorthorns and who cannot get them now have ceased coming. What the Deputy is advocating is the continuance of cross-bred cattle in Co. Kerry.