asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the number of fully qualified veterinary surgeons employed at his Department's veterinary research laboratory during each of the months July, August and September of this year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Department of Agriculture: Employment of Veterinary Surgeons.
The answer is 13.
The Minister in his reply says that the number is 13. I have a letter here that was sent in the month of July from that Department and they said that they had no officers available to do the work.
The Deputy asked a question and got a reply.
I have given the Deputy the information he asked for.
I am giving the Minister some information now. There was nobody in the Department in July.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the number of fully qualified veterinary surgeons employed in a full time capacity by his Department on (a) 31st December, 1957, and 31st October, 1958, and (b) recruited into his Department's service since 1st January, 1957; and if he will state the number of the foregoing who have since left the service.
The information required by the Deputy, inclusive of veterinary surgeons engaged wholetime on a daily fee basis, is as follows:—(a) 153 and 136 respectively; (b) 10.
The number of these who have left the Department's service since 1st January, 1957, is 19.
Can the Minister give us any idea why these qualified veterinary surgeons are leaving the service?
They do not usually tell me and I have no means of compelling them to do so.
Would the Minister not at least tell the House that he has some interest in having plenty of veterinary surgeons to carry out the T.T. scheme and that when these men are going he will ask them why they are going?
How would I make these men give me their reasons?
Maybe if you met them they would tell you.