asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware of the growing problem in the five SouthWestern counties created by the cost of replacement heifers when cows have been slaughtered under the Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Scheme; and whether he will consider relating compensation for slaughtered cattle more closely to replacement costs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Compensation for Slaughtered Cattle.
24.
As regards the first part of the Question, I am not aware that the cost of replacement of cows taken up under the Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Scheme in the southern dairying area is creating a problem.
As regards the second part, I am satisfied that the compensation paid by my Department for reactors in the south on the basis of "market value" as defined in the Diseases of Animals (Bovine Tuberculosis) Act, 1957, is fair and reasonable.