asked the Minister for Agriculture if any recent steps have been taken to settle the dispute with the veterinary surgeons.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dispute with Veterinary Surgeons.
39.
Yes, but I regret to say that these efforts have proved fruitless.
Will the Minister have regard to the damage which is being caused to the eradication programme by this long dispute? I do not wish to embarrass the Minister but would he consider any other steps he could initiate to end it?
I may say that I have been taking the initiative in this matter for the last two years and I cannot think of any other step I can take to bring this dispute to a conclusion. The last effort which I made was made with the full approval of the Government and on that occasion I went as far as any reasonably fairminded person could expect me to go. It is not possible to discuss the details of a matter of this kind at Question Time but if the Deputy or any other Deputy wishes, I shall let him have the correspondence between the Veterinary Medical Association, the Veterinary Officers' Association and the Department.
Would the Minister say whether he would embody the correspondence in a White Paper containing a summary of the facts of the situation?
I have already supplied all the documents and correspondence up to a certain date and if the Deputy wishes me to add the correspondence from that date to the present time I shall do so.
Would the Minister consider making a summary of the situation in a White Paper, first of all, and then any Deputy who wishes to go into the details of the matter could ask for full details?
My view of that is that people are often suspicious of summaries. I would prefer to issue the letters and correspondence even if they would be more tedious to go through. They would not be suspect in the same way that a summary would be.