I am not quite clear as to what the Minister means by 25 lay inspectors. Is this the scheme where-under lay inspectors will be substituted in the meat factories so as to release a number of veterinary surgeons for work in the anti-T.B. scheme?
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Aiken):
One of the first problems I examined in the Department was how to speed up the eradication of tuberculosis in cattle. In view of the fact that the British authorities estimate that they will have all their herds under test by 1960, it is of the utmost urgency that we should be in a position by then to ensure that all the cattle we export are tuberculin tested from tuberculin tested herds; otherwise the utmost confusion will arise in the cattle trade, with disastrous consequences for our farmers.
The position at the moment is that the intensive eradication scheme is in operation in only two counties—Sligo and Clare, as well as Bansha, and that pre-intensive measures are being taken only in eight other counties.
Every effort is being made to press forward with the complete eradication in the areas I have named, and, for that purpose, 25 additional lay inspectors are being recruited as a matter of urgency.
It will be noted that there are 16 counties in which intensive eradication has not yet been put into operation, and these include all but one of the intensive creamery areas in which the incidence of tuberculosis in cattle is the highest. In order to make a start in these counties, pending the extension of the intensive scheme, herd-owners will be encouraged to avail to the widest possible extent of the accredited herd scheme. In addition, it is proposed to take measures to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis by intensifying the removal of open or clinical cases in all herds by paying better compensation for such cases reported under the Bovine Tuberculosis Order, 1926. It is hoped that farmers will realise that it is in their interest to have these open cases removed from their herds as quickly as possible so that their stock will not be infected by them, and that the number of reactors to be removed later under the intensive scheme will be reduced. The Minister for Finance has approved of giving better compensation for clinical cases, and he will refer to it in his Budget speech.
One other acute source of infection is the separated milk returned to the farmers from the creameries, and it is of the utmost urgency that all such milk be pasteurised so that the young stock may be saved from infection. It is proposed to speed up the installation of the regenerative pasteurisation plant in all creameries, and to take legislative powers to compel pasteurisation by the use of such plants or by steam injection into the separated milk.
Legislative powers will also be sought to secure the removal of reactors in the intensive areas.
No. We are trying to speed up the intensive scheme and, as the Deputy knows, we are limited in that by the number of veterinary people. We intend to take some of the ordinary work from the veterinary surgeons, that is, the evaluating of cattle, ordering their removal from the herds, and work of that kind, which could be carried out by trained laymen, thus allowing the trained veterinary officer to concentrate on his own particular work.
Am I to understand from the Minister's reply that the lay inspectors to which he referred are the lay valuers who are to take this work from the veterinary surgeons?
That is right.
In addition to that, am I to understand that it is intended to proceed with the scheme to put lay examiners into the field to do preliminary work whereby we might release a number of veterinary surgeons who are at present engaged in factories, so that we might turn their attention to supplement the work of the veterinary surgeons in the intensive areas for the eradication of T.B.?
The lay inspectors will be used in all types of work for which they can be used in order to release the veterinary officers for work that can be done only by trained veterinary officers.
May I assume that on the introduction of the Estimate a more comprehensive statement will be made——
Yes.
——and, if so, may I avail of this occasion to assure the Minister that any co-operation or help he requires to expedite this most urgent work will be forthcoming from this side of the House?