The Minister might, at least, have given us some reason for the introduction of this measure. We are in general agreement about the importance of this industry throughout the country. The suitability of the country for high-class bloodstock production of any class of horse is unrivalled. The horse-breeding industry in this country has been built up over centuries. Recent competitions in Great Britain, in India, and in every country to which our horses have been exported, and notably so in America and in Canada, have shown that the outstanding qualities of the Irish horse have been maintained. The Minister is prescribing regulations under this Bill. As the present Act stands without any of these prescribed regulations, I am rather inclined to agree with Deputy Curran that two-year-old thoroughbreds would come under the ban if a permit or licence was not had for them. The permit, although it may be necessary, is something different from the licence. The Minister mentioned a permit in respect of certain animals. He mentioned it in connection with bloodstock. I think the Minister would admit that a permit under this Bill has not got the same character as a licence, and he urged that the provision of a permit for high-class bloodstock is not adding to the character of it. You cannot detract from the character of an animal, but, nevertheless, we must admit that people who pay some attention to the description in official documents do have regard to matters of this sort.
I find it difficult to understand the departure which is made from the Act of 1918 in connection with bloodstock. There was in the Act reference to animals which I think were mentioned as being scheduled in certain stud books. There is no particular reason why that should not be done here. I am not at all sure that anything in the nature of supervision by a Government Department is going to make for any great improvement in bloodstock raising. People engaged in that industry have devoted their lives to it, and very large sums of money have been spent on it. It would be news to me to learn that any Minister or Department, however well qualified in other respects, is going to make any great improvement in that matter, more especially having regard to the events of the last few years in that connection. From the success which has attended the efforts of the blood-stock raisers in this country it seems to me inadvisable to interfere with them. The introduction of this measure now brings into bold relief the condition of the horse-breeding industry. This Bill will not remedy the disadvantage which we have suffered during the last month or two by reason of the loss to this country of the sires Tredennis, Blandford, Trigo and Stratford. A dozen Bills such as this would not remedy that. It would be better if, in presenting a measure of this sort, a little more examination was given to the problem, a little more attention to the history of the success of Irish blood-stock, and to the improvement that takes place when animals bred in other countries are brought here and raise stock here. It would be inadvisable to make any statement which would give undue publicity to the fact, but one of those animals now gone across the water comes from a stock whose progeny in England has not been very successful. When that animal came over here the issue from it was more than successful; it was outstanding in its superiority and in the quality of its produce. What has happened has, as I have said, done more damage than a dozen Bills such as this could possibly remedy.
I would have expected that in introducing a measure of this sort the Minister would have dealt with the matter in much the same way as his predecessor dealt with stock-breeding Bills. In reading over this measure the other evening I noticed one section which was not mentioned by the Minister—Section 17—at least he did not mention this particular provision in it:
"Where the Minister refuses an application for a licence or a permit under this Act or revokes or suspends a licence or permit granted under this Act, or is of opinion that a stallion to which this Act applies is not suitable for breeding purposes..."
That is all right, I have no objection to that. It goes on to say, however:
..."or where an application for a licence or permit under this Act is not made within the prescribed time the Minister may serve on the owner, reputed owner, or other person keeping or having possession of the stallion the subject of such application, licence, permit, or opinion a notice in the prescribed form requiring such person within the time (not being less than fourteen days) specified in such notice to have such stallion castrated."
There is no necessity for that. Even though the word "may" is there, that ought not to be in the section. This is something over which human agencies have very little control. One of the most successful stallions in this country was purchased at the yearling sales for £700. I think the fee for that stallion is four hundred guineas. An animal which won the English Derby and the Grand Prix was bought at the sales for £300. Having such a provision as that in the section is to my mind a very great mistake. No person should have such power, whether or not he exercises it. That provision ought not to be there. You should stand on the quality of the animal and not on the question of whether or not a person made a mistake through neglect, wilful or otherwise.
I should like to get from the Minister some explanation as to why thoroughbred blood stock are included in this. They were excluded under the Act of 1918 on very specific grounds:
"A stallion entered in any prescribed stud-book if used for the service of none but mares so entered or mares approved by the Department; or a stallion belonging exclusively to one individual if used for the service of none but mares belonging exclusively to that individual."
I do not think that we have any such case as that. That is the second case. Goodness knows these people are suffering badly enough as things are. Not one mare in four comes over here from England now that came before the Government indulged in these experimental economics. Nothing whatever has been done or has been attempted to be done to repair the damage to this once important industry. It affects more than race meetings and thoroughbreds. It has affected and will affect the horse-breeding industry in this country for all time and no regulations or improvement in finance are going to repair the damage that has been done and that is going to be done by the removal of these four stallions, and perhaps others may follow in their wake. These people have lost heavily enough up to this and some more consideration should be given to them now than to tell them that they will have to register the stallions and will have to apply for a licence or permit to carry on their work. I am quite sure that the Department has some very competent officials, but is it contended on behalf of the Minister that they know more about this subject than the people who keep thoroughbred stallions throughout the country?
There is just one other reference that I should like to make. One of the disqualifications that the Bill says will not be against the registration of a stallion is that he is affected in his wind. I should like to hear from the Minister something about that. I should like to know whether or not any attempts are being made to limit the number of stallions affected in their wind in this country. Some American publications recently directed attention to what they call this peculiarly Irish disease. I cannot remember the exact words used, but there was a reference to paralysis of the larynx. That is not so bad. I do not mean to say that it is a disability which prevented some horses from doing very good work. One animal suffering in that way won the Grand National in recent years. A bad horse will not win that race. Though it may succeed in winning some other, it will not be able to win the Grand National. That does not stop some horses, but it is regarded in certain countries as an indisposition peculiar to this country, for what reason I do not know. While one might exercise a discretion, it is not necessary to put it into an Act of Parliament, practically admitting that the thing is here. There have been cases in which this particular disability has been cured. I would suggest, at any rate, that if it is possible to get animals that are sound in their wind it would be all the better for the industry.
The real reason for this measure, the Minister states, is that some of these stallions are used for other purposes. Great attempts have been made in recent years to re-establish what is known as the Connemara pony, and animals employed as stallions are also employed at other work down the country. I do not know whether it is intended to increase whatever allowance is made to a person for keeping one of those animals. But from what has come under my notice it would be almost an impossibility for them to live on that or at least to maintain an animal exclusively for breeding purposes in such districts as those. If an alteration in policy is intended in that direction it ought not to be brought into operation without consultation with some local persons who are acquainted with all the circumstances of the case.
