asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is satisfied that at the fair of fourteen-day tested cattle recently held in the public square at Tullamore his Department's regulations governing the holdings of such fairs were compiled with.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tullamore Fair.
5.
The answer to the Deputy's question is "yes".
What are the main requirements of his Department in regard to these particular sales?
When this application was received—as it was the first of its kind in relation to the holding of a fair —I had to ask my veterinary people to look at the place and see if, in their opinion, it was suitable and to set out the conditions if they thought well to recommend approval of it. That course was followed. The place was inspected, the regulations were drawn up. The fair itself was held; our people attended it and the report which they made to me was that the regulations, as prescribed by me, were fully carried out.
The Minister has not answered my question. I asked the Minister what were the regulations? Could I put it to him this way: did the regulations include a requirement that there should not be more than two entrances to the place of sale, that there should be facilities for the washing of vehicles in the area concerned? Did they require the cattle to be redisinfected before the sale and also that there would be some arrangement whereby the cattle could be tested by the veterinary officers of his Department either during or subsequent to the sale? If that is right, how could you enforce such regulations in a public square?
The regulations are fairly formidable and I have no desire at all to deny the Deputy's right to have a look at them. They do not fit in very well with a reply to a Parliamentary Question but I shall let the Deputy have a copy of them. The regulations provide for only two entrances and in fact, as far as I am aware, only one entrance was used.