asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if his Department have issued instructions to veterinary surgeons to test only a very small percentage of herds on the list each week and have issued only a limited amount of blood boxes; and if he is aware this will slow up the testing of herds all over the country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Herd Testing.
12.
In order to provide a fairly even flow of blood samples to the Department's laboratory for testing under the brucellosis eradication scheme, veterinary practitioners have been asked to co-operate as heretofore by spreading their sampling evenly throughout the round now in progress. The weekly rate of sampling suggested would, if adhered to, result in completion of a round of sampling in well under 12 months. Supplies of boxes for the return of samples to the laboratory are made available to practitioners on the basis of their weekly requirements as estimated by the district veterinary offices. These arrangements have worked smoothly in the past and there is no reason to fear that they will now slow up the testing of herds under the scheme. May I say that no round of testing in the past has ever been done in less than 12 months?
My information is that veterinary surgeons carry out tests on only about 2½ per cent of the herds on their lists. This means that some herds will not be tested until next August. Is this not a go-slow by the Department? Can the Minister prove that there is not a go-slow by the Department in the issue of boxes?
The Deputy in another forum this morning got considerable details of the enormous number of samples that arrive every day at the Department's laboratory for testing. The number is exceptional. There must be some organisation about this matter. If a number of veterinary surgeons decided suddenly to devote their entire time to taking blood samples the capacity of the laboratory would not be sufficient to cope with this. The arrangements now being made will facilitate the completion of a round of testing well under 12 months, done at the rate they are being done. You cannot expand and contract staff and space in a laboratory, as people think fit, if they want to have any order in the thing. This order always existed and there is no change in the system.
This order always existed and the normal testing went on. Would the Minister agree that there are people anxious to test now? Brucellosis is very bad in my area. Does the Minister agree that there is a curtailment, that he cannot go ahead as fast as he would like to go. that vets have to curtail themselves every week? We have to take a serious look at this whether or not the Minister has laboratory accommodation. According to his reply, the laboratory is not there for the samples coming in. The facts are——
Order. Questions, relevant and brief, if possible.
Am I right in saying that the testing is confined to about 2½ per cent of the herds?
That is so. But, over and above that, there are 25 lay technicians taking blood samples which brings it well above the normal 3 per cent.
I want the Minister to correct me if I am wrong but my information is that whether or not the Minister has the accommodation, he cannot go as fast as he would like towards the eradication of disease?
At the pace we are going we can finish a round of testing in well under 12 months. That was never done in the history of the country.
Further arising out of the Minister's reply——
I have given the Deputy a lot of latitude. We have had speeches from him rather than questions. Question No. 13.
Does the Minister not agree that circumstances have changed entirely?
Not a bit.
I have called the next question.
(Interruptions.)
Can I not ask one supplementary question?
I have called the next question. Question No. 13.
Will the Minister not use the district veterinary laboratories?