asked the Minister for Health what is the incidence of brucellosis in Ireland; and what is the incidence of brucellosis in the veterinary profession.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Incidence of Brucellosis.
10.
The number of cases of brucellosis notified to my Department by health authorities in recent years were: 1965—16; 1966—18; 1967—35; 1968—105; 1969 (to date)— 38. My Department has not the information requested by the Deputy in the second part of the question. I am asking the local health authorities to furnish this information and I will write to the Deputy in the matter as soon as possible.
Is the Minister aware that up to 60 per cent of the veterinary profession have shown the positive titre test in reaction to brucellosis?
As I have told the Deputy, I have no information on the matter, but I am trying to ascertain the position.
Is the Minister aware that 10 per cent of the total veterinary population who have a positive titre test are in actual fact rendered ill and incapable of carrying out their professional duties because of this disease?
I have noted what the Deputy has said.
Has the Minister any comments to make on the incidence of this disease in Ireland?
A committee is being set up, with representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and from my own Department, to make a study of this problem.
11.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if in view of the high rate of brucellosis in the veterinary profession he will consider introducing a scheme of compensation for those affected by the disease.
The assumption in the first part of the Deputy's question lies outside my province, as would a scheme such as he refers to.
Assuming the Minister has complete jurisdiction over the eradication of brucellosis does he not think it advisable in the interests of the veterinary profession, who are the individuals being used for the eradicatin of this disease, for some form of compensation to be paid because of the high incidence of illness and the morbidity associated with working close to cattle and contracting brucellosis itself?
I do not think it would clarify the position any more to add to what I have already said.
12.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if the efficiency of the brucellosis eradication scheme is impaired in any way by the high mobility of brucellosis amongst the members of that profession engaged in the eradication scheme.
I am advised that there is no recorded case of the disease being transferred from human to animal or from human to human. The answer accordingly is "no".
Surely the Minister is aware that human beings can contract brucellosis from animals?
I did not contradict that, Deputy. What I said was that there is no recorded case of the disease being transferred from human to animal or from human to human. I have not said it is not transferable from animal to human.
I did not ask whether or not it was transferable from human to human, what I said was that it was transferable from animal to human.
Nobody would dispute that and, accordingly, the answer to the Deputy's question is "no."
The Deputy has taken up a good deal of the time of the House. We have 148 questions on the Order Paper.
This is a very important matter.
Every subject is important.
I should like to point out that the word "morbidity" in the question has been spelled as "mobility" but it should be "morbidity."
The import of the Deputy's question as far as I, the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, am concerned is whether or not the assumption contained in his question impairs the eradication scheme and I merely added at the beginning of my answer that no recorded case of transfer of the disease from human to animal or from human to human is known to me and accordingly the answer to the main question is "no".