asked the Minister for Local Government whether there is any supervision by Dublin Corporation of the number and state of piggeries at present maintained in residential areas within the city boundaries; and whether there has been a reduction or increase in the number of such piggeries in recent years.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Piggeries in Dublin City.
24.
Mr. O'Leary
I am informed by Dublin Corporation that all piggeries within the Dublin county borough are regularly inspected by the health inspectors engaged on corporation duties. Their maintenance and operation are also supervised strictly to ensure full compliance with requirements under the corporation's bye-laws for the Keeping of Animals and the sections of the Public Health (Ireland) Act, 1878 relating to the abatement of nuisances, and, where necessary, appropriate statutory action is taken.
It is understood that no precise figures are readily available showing the number of piggeries in residential areas in the city but the most recent survey indicates that there are now some 193 piggeries within the county borough as against 395 in 1954.
Mr. O'Leary
Is the Minister aware that Dublin has the rather unenviable reputation of having a greater number of piggeries than any other similar city in this country or in Britain? Has his Department any policy in regard to the contraction of the number of piggeries in the urban areas of Dublin?
I should imagine that if the contraction already evident over the past 12 years were to continue in the future this would represent satisfactory progress. We have dropped from 394 in a much smaller city 12 years ago to 193 in a much larger area at the moment.
Mr. O'Leary
Is the Minister aware that many of the diseases that afflict Dublin in the late summer are attributed to the number of piggeries in the urban areas?
While the Deputy may be aware of that, I have no information about it.