asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that the special unit for the collection of arrears of land annuities is visiting farms and inspecting live stock in all parts of County Wicklow, and if, in view of the danger of spreading foot-and-mouth disease, he will suspend the operations of this unit.
Ceisteanna.—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Annuities Collection Unit.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will state the type of car used by the special unit for the collection of arrears of land annuities in County Wicklow, the number of miles covered by the unit per month, and the amount of petrol consumed.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together. I am satisfied that the duties of the special unit as carried out in County Wicklow do not involve the danger suggested. I do not, therefore, propose to suspend its operation. The car used by the unit is a Ford V/8. It covers approximately 2,000 miles per month, and the amount of petrol used averages about 130 gallons per month.
I would like to know if the Minister is aware that there have been outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Wicklow, a county which is covered by this special unit? Is he also aware that the special unit not only visits farms but inspects stock, and have been known to examine the mouths of cattle to ascertain their age? If such inspection does not involve the danger of spreading the infection, then for my part I do not know what constitutes danger. In regard to the second question, does the Minister not consider, in view of the severe hardships which have been inflicted on various sections of the community through the shortage of petrol, and of the number of people who have been thrown out of work, particularly bus drivers and others who had been in good employment, that it is a grave waste of motor fuel to be using it in a high-powered car for this purpose?
Mr. Boland
I want to tell the Deputy that, since the outbreak of the disease, the court messenger has not gone near any stock. He simply goes to houses. If I may say so, I think the Deputy would be better engaged if, instead of giving encouragement to people not to pay their land annuities, he would go to the Land Commission and try to make some arrangements for them. If the Deputy did that, there would be no necessity for any court messenger.
If the Minister is suggesting that I am giving any encouragement whatever to people not to pay their land annuities——
Mr. Boland
I say that the Deputy, by his attitude, is doing nothing else.
——then I want to tell him that is a blasted lie.
The Deputy must withdraw that expression.
In that case, I would like to explain that what I meant to say was an exploded falsehood.