asked the Minister for Agriculture if in view of the fact that there has been no out break of foot-and-mouth disease in Connaught he has made, or purports making, any efforts and, if so, what efforts, to enable the export of cattle from County Mayo to Great Britain through Northern Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Exports.
The movement of cattle into or through Northern Ireland is prohibited by an order made by the Minister of Agriculture, Northern Ireland. So far, the facilities available for shipping direct to Great Britain the number of cattle which the British Minister of Food is prepared to accept weekly are sufficient.
The Minister must be aware that the County of Mayo and the whole province of Connaught have been completely free from foot-and-mouth disease. Can he not impress that upon the authorities in Northern Ireland and Great Britain and can he not urge upon them that Ireland should not be treated as a whole but that these areas like Connaught which have been completely free should be treated separately from those portions of the country which have become infected?
I can assure the Deputy that that is being done.
Is the Minister aware that, in the 1916 outbreak of the disease, cattle from Connaught were allowed to pass up the Enniskillen line through Collooney, and that the restrictions applicable to the rest of the country were never applied to Connaught?
Yes.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state how many, if any, of the cattle bought throughout the country by the authorised buyers for the Dublin butchering trade are shipped to the British market, alive or as beef.
Except for a shipment of 1,184 cattle which was made in the first week on which Dublin Port was opened for the shipment of live cattle to Great Britain, no live cattle bought by the Meat Supply Committee's buyers have been shipped.
The committee ship weekly as dressed beef a variable number of the cattle bought by their buyers. The quantities so shipped in weeks ended 6th and 13th September were 312 quarters and 984 quarters respectively.
asked the Minister for Agriculture whether there is any prospect of having a cattle service re-started through the port of Rosslare Harbour.
There is no immediate prospect of Rosslare Harbour being agreed to as a port for the shipment of live cattle to Great Britain.
Is it not the Minister's duty to endeavour to get the British to take more live cattle? I am not trying to make any political capital out of this matter. My desire is to help the people of the county whom the Minister and I represent. The majority of the people in County Wexford have a lot of strong cattle now, and, if they are left on their hands, it will mean a double number of weak cattle next spring, and I suggest that the Minister should try to get the British to take more live cattle. If my information is correct, the men in the dead meat trade are getting some very bad returns, which means that they are not in a position to give producers a good price.
Is the Deputy asking a question?
I am asking for an answer. What do you think I am asking?
The British have agreed to take a larger number of live cattle next week. In fact, the number will be moved up from 4,200 to 5,700, but the question is whether we shall be able to arrange shipping facilities at such short notice.
I have information and I believe it is correct——
The Deputy must ask a question.
Am I not asking a question?
The Deputy is making a statement.
Has the Minister got the information that I have that the Wexford cattle dealers are satisfied that they can charter a boat, if they are allowed to ship cattle from Rosslare.
That is a different matter. Rosslare is out of it.
They cannot do it, unless they get permission from the Government. We know that "the market is gone for ever" and that we are "thanking God for it".