Deputy Derrig wants to know what progress is being made in connection with the organisation of the faculty of Dairy Science in Cork. Considerable progress has been made. About two years ago, when we were instituting that faculty, we were in consultation with the people concerned in University College, Cork, and I think the sum of money that appeared on the Estimates was a sum that was agreed on at the time with these people as sufficient to cover all the capital expenses, which were very considerable, and also the actual expenditure for the purpose of paying professors and for the purpose of providing scholarships, and providing equipment for the institute. Having voted that money, which was an agreed sum, it was then for University College, Cork, to proceed with the work, but they found unexpected difficulties. That, of course, is nothing to their discredit. It was a very big proposition. It entailed the establishment of a creamery within easy reach of the College, and not only the establishment of a creamery but also the necessary laboratories, class halls, and so on.
When they began to consider where they should establish the creamery, and where they should establish the laboratories, of course they had to keep in mind that these various buildings should be quite close to University College, because it would be necessary to take pupils from the College to the laboratories and from the laboratories to the College on the same day, and then within an hour's time to the creamery. That presented legal difficulties. Certain people who owned house property near the University came to the conclusion that a creamery was not exactly the sort of thing that would appreciate the value of house property or the value of land in the neighbourhood, and there were certain legal complications; in fact, legal actions were threatened, and the whole thing had to be revised. The University was not particularly anxious to get into litigation, especially on the question of what was or what was not a nuisance. That is rather an abstruse question, and it would depend to a great extent on the aesthetic sense of the particular jurors who would hear the case.
It was decided that they would change their plans and that they would endeavour to build a creamery within the college grounds. That raised new difficulties. University College, Cork, is one of the finest buildings of its kind in this country, or perhaps in England, Ireland and Scotland. It is a very handsome building, and it is a very fine University from that point of view. They put it to us, and quite rightly, that if these buildings had to be erected within the grounds of the University, they should be in keeping with its general architecture, and, strange to say, we agreed to that. But it took some time before we agreed, because it meant considerably more money. In any case, negotiations went on between ourselves and University College, Cork, and we altered the estimates, notwithstanding that we had agreed in the beginning with the sum that was agreed by the College as the amount that was necessary to cover all the expenses of establishing a dairy institute, of paying the capital expenditure for such an institute, and also paying the annual expenditure. Notwithstanding that that sum was agreed to by the College, we expressed our willingness to reconsider the question, and the College put up new estimates for new types of buildings, and finally some months ago—I forget how many; Deputy Anthony will probably be able to enlighten me on that point—we agreed as to the final figure, and the buildings are now going ahead. Of course, the creamery has not been built, and the new class halls have not been built. That is a matter entirely for the College. They have got the money, they have a contract signed, the contractors are, I think, actually working, and there is nothing to prevent them, and in fact nothing is preventing them, from going ahead with the building.
Meantime they have appointed three of four professors, I think, and when I say "I think," I mean that I am not sure whether they have appointed three or four. They have appointed a Professor of Bacteriology and some other professors, and they have facilities; they have a farm which they bought with the money which was voted, and they are, in fact, going ahead and providing lectures for the course in Dairy Science. I think the Deputy was specially interested in the scholarships that are being given there. I am not in a position to say offhand what scholarships are being given. There is a number——