asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will pay compensation for loss of sale to those who had purchased cows and who are prohibited from transporting them as a result of the foot and mouth disease scare at Boyle, County Roscommon, recently.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Boyle Foot and Mouth Disease Scare.
27.
I could not accept the principle of compensation in such cases. The cattle were, in fact, released from control by 10th December.
The few cases I have in mind were farmers who had freshly calved cows, who were compelled to hold them on hands and were not allowed to move them for three weeks. Those calves have now lost milk and have dropped in value from £15 to £12 per head. If the Minister prohibits the movement of animals, would he consider some compensation for these people since they were good enough to co-operate when the scare arose?
In a situation such as that which arose at the fair of Boyle, where we were merely suspicious about what might occur, the Minister for Agriculture has the power to make an Order, such as the Order I did, in fact, make. If the Minister and his Department were to be called upon to accept responsibility for compensation when dealing with such situations, there would be no end to it.
This only refers to a few isolated cases.
The Deputy is not asking a question; he is advancing an argument.
Question No. 28 postponed.