asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will arrange to have cattle treated on the spot for warble fly instead of having them rejected in the marts after farmers have gone to the expense of getting transport to convey them there.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Warble Fly Treatment.
9.
A great deal of publicity has been given to the regulations about warbles and I think that at this stage all farmers are familiar with them. The purpose of dressing cattle is to eradicate the pest. If farmers dress only the few they want to sell instead of dressing all that show evidence of warbles we shall make no further progress towards final eradication. I am keeping this whole situation under review.
10.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will reintroduce the general autumn dressing under the warble fly eradication scheme.
The question of what further measures may be necessary to complete the eradication of the warble fly will be considered in the light of the level of infestation this season.
Would the Minister not consider it in view of the fact that between 1967 and 1969 the level of warble infestation has gone up fourfold? This is indicated by figures released by the leather trade. Surely there is a strong case for very drastic action if we are to avoid going back to the precise situation we were in before we initiated this campaign?
This is a very trite sort of argument. I have considered this matter over the past 18 months. There are over five million cattle to be treated if all are dressed. Even though we did that for a number of seasons there were, by various devices, some of those millions which were not dressed obviously and the result is that little pockets here and there have re-emerged. We did not think that having got to below one per cent of incidence of infestation the situation warranted the imposition of a nation-wide scheme. For that reason we stopped at that point and introduced a system whereby any person having cattle showing signs of infestation is entitled to have them treated free of charge. We also brought in regulations dictating that nobody may expose for sale cattle that were obviously affected. If infected cattle were found the treatment would no longer be free but compulsory and must then be paid for. That situation has obtained during the past 12 months. During the past two seasons we have had two runs of dressings on that basis. There has been considerable use of the free scheme. The results which will emerge during the warble fly season now coming up will show what we should do. We will then be in a position to determine whether it may be necessary to go back to dressing all cattle compulsorily, or whether pockets may emerge which can be encompassed by localised schemes, or whether what we are doing at the moment will be sufficient. The whole question is under review. We will be reaching the point of decision as the season progresses. Until then I cannot tell the House what will emerge.
Would the Minister not agree that the fact that the level of infestation has gone up fourfold under this scheme between 1967 and 1969 is evidence enough that a change of policy is needed and that we should not have to wait for the 1970 season as well before taking action?
I have discussed this with farming and cattle interests and they are all in agreement that it is wise at this stage to await the outcome of the evidence of this season.
Wait for the problem to get worse——
It is easy to talk about the problem like that and about a fourfold increase but the Deputy is talking about a fraction of one per cent. The Deputy is really talking in terms which are purely approximate even at that particular point because there is no direct evidence that there is this infestation.
The evidence of the leather trade is clear enough.