I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. Under the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, the Minister for Agriculture is empowered to deal directly with four specified diseases of animals, namely, cattle plague, pleuro - pneumonia, foot - and - mouth disease, and swine-fever. Under the present Bill it is proposed to extend the power of the Minister so as to enable him to deal with diseases other than these four diseases. As regards the four diseases mentioned, I am glad to be in a position to say they have practically been eliminated and that the country is free from them. Pleuropneumonia has disappeared practically and so has cattle plague. The last outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in this country occurred in 1931, in the Six-County area, and we have been lucky enough to escape foot-and-mouth disease in the Saorstát area since 1928. Even swine-fever, which was rather a common disease here in former days, has become unknown, at least for the last 12 months. In 1932 we had 42 cases of swine-fever; in 1933 we had 97 cases; in 1934 we had 26 cases, and we have had none since. I do not know to what exactly the improvement is due. Some claim that it is due to a great extent to the stoppage of the import of foreign bacon, while others claim that it is due to the enforcement of the boiling order for offals and so on, which has been enforced in the City of Dublin for some time, as it was in the vicinity of the City of Dublin that these cases usually occurred. The position is that, under the 1894 Act, any diseases of animals, other than the four diseases specified, have to be dealt with by the local authorities.
It is proposed in this Bill to give the Minister for Agriculture power to deal directly with any diseases that he may think fit. The object of the Bill is to deal with tuberculosis in cattle. Under the scheme, which has been mentioned on several occasions, for the disposal of old cows at Roscrea factory, we hope to get rid of all the useless and old cows in the country for conversion into meat meal, but the Roscrea factory is not for the purpose of taking tuberculous cows, although possibly some tuberculous cows may be sent there. It is proposed then to follow up the clearing of county by county for Roscrea by a campaign for the elimination of tuberculosis in cows as far as possible, and it is felt that this can only be done effectively if it is administered from the central authority. The administration of the Bovine Tuberculosis Order by local authorities cannot be regarded as satisfactory. In the year ended 31st March last the number of animals slaughtered under the Order was 3,672, and that would mean only about 0.3 per cent. of the number of cows in the country, which is undoubtedly much lower than the number of cows in that could be detected as suffering from tuberculosis, and an attempt made to eliminate the disease. To give an idea of the working of this scheme in the year referred to, that is, the year ended 31st March last, I may say that the number of animals slaughtered in one county was 751, in another county 718, while in another it was six. It is quite plain, therefore, that there are certain local authorities much more alive to the danger of tuberculosis in cattle than others, and that no uniform attempt has been made to stamp out the disease.
If this power is given by the Dáil it is proposed to make Orders from time to time taking over the administration of the elimination of bovine tuberculosis in any particular county for a particular period, and afterwards perhaps handing back that power to the local authority to deal with. It will mean of course that officers of the Department will have to take over administration of the Act wherever an Order is made. I may also mention that it is proposed to widen the scope of the existing Bovine Tuberculosis Order. The present Order deals with any cow which is or appears to be suffering from tuberculosis of the udder, indurated udder or other chronic diseases of the udder; any bovine animal which is or appears to be suffering from tubercular emaciation, or any bovine animal which is suffering from a chronic cough, and showing definite clinical signs of tuberculosis. The new Order which it is proposed to bring into operation shortly will include the aged cow which is or appears to be suffering from tuberculosis in any form, and a bovine animal which is or appears to be suffering from open tuberculosis, that is tuberculosis with a shedding of tubercle bacilli in any of the discharges of the animal. The new Order will also, of course, include cows which are suspected of giving tuberculous milk. If we reach the very ideal position of having tubercle free herds in this country we shall be in a position to help that movement very much by taking the administration of this Act into central hands.
Another question that may perhaps arise is: "How do the veterinary surgeons who are at present employed by the local authority stand under this Act"? Their position is being safeguarded. If they are taken over by the Department under this Bill they will be paid on a pro rata or per case basis, and, if the Department hands back the work again to the local authority to administer, the veterinary surgeon will of course go back to where he left off. The compensation that will be paid for any animals slaughtered under the central administration of the Order will be paid for entirely by the State. At present the local authority pays half the compensation, but if this administration is now taken over by the central authority, and if it is pushed vigorously, the amount to be paid by the local authority under the present basis might be very heavy. It has been suggested, therefore, that the central authority should pay the whole cost while they are administering this Act.
