asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he informed a deputation recently that he may call upon the Dairy Disposal Board to set up a depôt for the compulsory pasteurisation of milk for human consumption in Cork City and district; and, if so, whether he will state (a) the nature of the arrangement whereby the board undertakes such work, and (b) why Cork has been selected for the experiment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Compulsory Pasteurisation.
The Minister for Agriculture recently informed a deputation of milk producers from Cork that if they were unable to avail themselves of the opportunity which he had afforded them of setting up on co-operative lines a depôt for the pasteurisation of all milk sold for human consumption in the Cork sale district, he proposed to ask the Dairy Disposal Company, Limited, to do so. The Minister asked the producers to let him have their decision not later than the 31st December and, pending that decision, he has made no arrangements with the Dairy Disposal Company. As to why it is proposed to require compulsory pasteurisation of milk in Cork, investigation of complaints received by the Minister for Agriculture and the Minister for Health in regard to the quality of much of the milk sold in Cork indicates that compulsory pasteurisation is the most practical means of safeguarding the consumers. I can assure the Deputy that there would be no experimentation in this matter and there is no ground for the suggestion that the means indicated would involve any uncertainty about effecting the very desirable purpose in view, namely, the securing of a satisfactory milk supply for the citizens of Cork.
I ask the Minister, through the Parliamentary Secretary, how he hopes to achieve the matter of having the Dairy Disposal Board establish a depôt in Cork. I want to ask the Minister, or the Parliamentary Secretary, if the Minister can, without legislation from this House, require the Dairy Disposal Board to establish such a depôt in Cork.
In reply to the first part of the Deputy's supplementary question, let me say, as I mentioned in the course of my reply, that pending the receipt of the reply from the milk producers, the Minister has not made any arrangements with the Dairy Disposal Company. Consequently, whatever arrangements happen to be made will be made only after the reply is received.
With regard to the Deputy's query as to whether legislation is necessary or not, I have not information as to that aspect of the matter.
Further, is it not a fact that the Minister told the deputation that he would ask the Dairy Disposal Board to establish this depôt if the producers did not establish a co-operative depôt themselves?
The reply which I have given to the Deputy confirms that the Minister had an interview with the deputation to whom he said that if the suppliers did not approve and that if proposals were not submitted by them to him he would get the Dairy Disposal Company to provide a supply of pasteurised milk.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say——
Question No. 15.
Can the Minister——
Question No. 15. The Deputy's supplementaries are rather lengthy.