The powers proposed to be taken in this Bill are such as will enable a Department to deal with musk rats, which have been found in the Nenagh district. A preliminary investigation has been made, and it shows that musk rats are well established in the district. A systematic campaign will have to be devised to secure their extermination. This may take some time. As Deputies are aware this menace has arisen in England where considerable difficulty has been found in getting rid of the rats. Special efforts in that direction are being made there, particularly in the Severn district, where an expert from the Continent has been secured. Even so, it is found very difficult to get rid of them.
We propose to send an officer of the Department over to see what measures they are taking there. As soon as we have his expert advice, we expect to be able to get after the pest here. There is provision in the Bill for licences for the keeping of musk rats. That, however, will be applied only in very few cases—probably such places as the Zoological Gardens and centres of research such as might be attached to universities. It would probably be advisable to have these rats in such places as the Zoological Gardens so that people would know what they are like. It might be necessary to do some research in some of our laboratories to see if we could find an effective way of getting rid of these rats otherwise than by trapping. Provision is also being made for the licensing of those who may wish to purchase the pelts. That is necessary to keep a check on the destruction and also to prevent what might become a profitable business if a certain reward were offered——
