asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state (1) the system under which licences are issued for the export of fat cattle from the County Donegal; (2) whether these licences are being issued to producers or dealers; (3) how many licences were issued to County Donegal for the current month and to whom were they issued; (4) how many fat cattle were exported from this area for the corresponding period of last year; (5) how many fat cattle are ready for shipment in County Donegal for which licences have not yet been granted, and (6) whether any persons have received preferential treatment in the number of licences issued to them, and if so, on what grounds.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Export Licences for County Donegal Cattle.
Licences for the export of fat cattle from County Donegal were issued during the current month to feeders as a result of inspections carried out by the Department. The number of licences available only sufficed to give feeders approximately one licence for each seven finished cattle. Feeders having a minimum of four finished cattle were included. 198 licences were given to feeders in Donegal during March. I shall supply the Deputy with a list of the persons to whom licences were issued if he so desires. No information is available as to the number of fat cattle which were exported from County Donegal during the corresponding period of last year. The number of cattle in County Donegal passed on inspection as fit for disposal and in respect of which licences have not been granted is 1,613. This includes 988 cattle passed as fit in February and 625 passed as fit in March. In two cases, in the exercise of my discretion, I have authorised the issue of a greater number of licences than the recipients were entitled to according to the number of fat cattle on hand. I am not prepared to inform the Deputy of the reasons for which I exercised my discretion.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, is the Minister aware that the case in which he exercised discretion has caused a tremendous amount of apprehension in the minds of the farmers in that part of the country? The matter has become broadcast and is looked on as a scandal in the administration of the Department, that one man can get an enormous number of licences without any valid reason, so far as the public are aware, while other men cannot. I interviewed up to a dozen men yesterday and their average of fat cattle is 20 to 40 and the average number of licences is from two to three or four. Yet, while that happens in these cases, one man is able to get a tremendous number of licences. The Minister issued 30 to this man for the first part of the month and I presume he will issue altogether 60. Is he aware that, instead of licences for March, they have been getting 15 days' notice from the sheriff for the payment of their land annuities? If the Minister will find them a market for their cattle, the annuities will be paid. That is all they want, but certainly the prestige of the Department of Agriculture is not very high in Donegal at the present moment owing to the action of the Minister in this regard.
I assume that is a question, Deputy?
I am asking the Minister if he is aware that recently the sheriff has issued to practically every one of these feeders 15 days' notice.
Which has nothing to do with the original question.
I suggest that if the Minister will find a market for their cattle, these men will pay all right.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, was not the undertaking given to the conference that interviewed the Minister on the 19th January, and in correspondence that took place between that conference and the Minister subsequently which led up to the allocation of licences to the feeders instead of to the traders, that approximately 44 per cent. of licences would be given to feeders for 44 per cent. of the fat cattle on hands?
Dr. Ryan
I cannot identify the conference of the 19th of March to which the Deputy refers.
The Minister must remember the conference on that date on which we met him.
Dr. Ryan
Oh, yes. At the particular conference to which Deputy Belton refers I was able to outline what we would be able to do, as it had already been decided upon. Licences amounted to 42 per cent. of our exports for three months of last year, and if we give one out of every seven in each period of a fortnight, over three months, we would have given six out of seven, and that is much more than 42 per cent.
The Minister will remember that Major Myles's statement was that a man with 40 head of fat cattle got two licences.
Dr. Ryan
If that is so, they were not fit for sale.
Is the Minister able to make that as a positive statement, or is it only a guess?
A Deputy
It is only a guess.
Dr. Ryan
According to my inspectors they could not have been fat.
Can the Minister say that in this specific case they were not fat?
Dr. Ryan
Yes.
It is only a case of political victimisation all over, as usual.
Could the Minister say how many licences were issued to this man for the month?
Dr. Ryan
I could not say.
He got 30 for the first half, and it is alleged he sold 60 for the last half, whether he had licences or not.