asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will consider announcing the symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease in its incipient form and appeal to all farmers to watch for these symptoms so that early detection of the disease where it occurs may be made and reported.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Foot and Mouth Disease.
In the Dublin morning papers and the Cork Examiner of the 21st and 22nd February and the Sunday Independent of the 23rd February a special display notice appeared in which I impressed upon stock owners the necessity for reporting promptly any suspicious cases of the disease to the nearest Gárda Siochána. That notice also described the first symptoms of the disease to attract attention and urged stock owners to keep a strict watch for any of the symptoms mentioned amongst their live stock. I propose to issue a similar notice this week.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if, in view of the present serious position of our live stock industry, as a result of foot-and-mouth disease and the necessity for preventing further infection by individuals or animals carrying the virus from one area to another, he will have coursing meetings, racing, etc., discontinued in every part of the country until the disease is under control and the danger of infection through these channels eliminated.
Hunting and coursing have been prohibited in the 11 counties which have been scheduled. It is not proposed to take any general action in regard to racing under the rules or coursing held on enclosed courses except where such courses are in close proximity to farms on which outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have taken place, such as Naas. Committees of point-to-points have been requested to postpone temporarily any meetings advertised to be held under their auspices.
Has the Minister adverted to the danger of spreading disease through the medium of public gatherings?
Yes.
The Minister sanctioned the holding of the National Coursing Meeting last week at Clonmel. Does he appreciate that that might give rise to the spread of the disease in a new area and the danger of bringing dogs to that area from infected districts? If it were a purely local meeting, Deputies would understand it; but this was a national meeting. Has the Minister adverted to that danger to the cattle trade?
Am I correct in believing that it is the intention of the Minister on the occasion of introducing the Supplementary Agricultural Estimate to-day to make a comprehensive statement on foot-and-mouth disease?
Yes.
In areas where dogs are roaming all over the place farmers are prevented from driving their cattle across the road. I wonder would the Minister do something to ease the situation of the people in these outlying areas. On the border of South and North Tipperary, where the disease is at the moment, people cannot drive cattle across the road, but dogs can roam all over the country.
The Deputy is not asking a question, he is making a speech.
Was the Minister aware when he sanctioned the holding of the National Coursing Meeting at Clonmel that there were 96 dogs nominated for the Oaks and the Derby from 96 different coursing meetings in this country representing practically all Ireland? Is the Minister aware that there is intense resentment felt by the ordinary people of the country against the banning of fairs and markets while coursing meetings are permitted to be held? The ordinary people feel that they are not being given a chance to dispose of their stock, and yet this coursing meeting was permitted, and a race meeting in connection with the Red Cross is to be held at the end of this week.
I was about to ask for an opportunity to make a statement in connection with the foot-and-mouth disease on the Supplementary Estimate. I think it better to reserve what I have to say until then. The Deputy should realise that dogs and horses are no more dangerous in carrying the disease than are men and women.
That does not say they are not dangerous.