asked the Minister for Lands if in view of the fact that tenants of State shooting rights were unable, owing to foot and mouth disease prevention regulations, to exercise the rights this year for which they have paid he will extend lettings to them next year at half rent.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tenants of State Shooting Rights.
32.
The answer is in the negative. Incidentally, I do not accept the contention that tenants were unable to exercise sporting rights, though the use of these rights was restricted to a shorter period owing to foot and mouth disease restrictions.
Surely the Minister's answer must be incorrect inasmuch as the foot and mouth restrictions occurred after about three weeks of the shooting season which meant that these tenants could not exercise their rights or could exercise them only by breaking the law.
The Deputy is in error. The shooting season for wild duck, wild goose, plover, snipe and woodcock starts on 1st September. The foot and mouth regulations did not come in until 24th November so that gentlemen interested in that particular form of slaughter had practically three months. They had a full season for grouse, a full season for partridge and three weeks for cock pheasants.
They had only three days more than I said to shoot cock pheasants which would constitute the major portion of your lettings.
How much time did they, in fact, have for woodcock, which is the major part of forestry letting, and in respect of which the Minister must know that no cock came in until the beginning of November?
They had practically three months from 1st September until 24th November.
Does the Minister not know that the cock do not come in in September? Did the Minister ever shoot a woodcock on 1st September?
Evidently, they bypass County Kildare and come to other parts of the country—the lazy ones, the late comers.
Let the Minister not show his ignorance of this.
The Minister is completely ignorant of the facts.
(Interruptions.)