asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is satisfied with the present method of granting licences for bulls; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Licensing of Bulls .
23.
: I am not satisfied with the present methods based entirely on visual assessment but I am prepared to permit these arrangements to continue in the short-term. I propose, however, to have the position reviewed and I would hope that as farmers become more aware of the advantages of using good bulls it would be possible to dispense with bull licensing altogether.
: Does the Minister not agree that the present system is more a check on the quality of various shampoos used on these animals and that there is an element of the beauty contest in this process? Surely the pedigree of the animals concerned and the lactation of the dam would be much more important than the visual assessment.
: I agree entirely. The ancient method of selection of bulls which has continued up to the present day is outdated and should be replaced.
: Do I understand the Minister to suggest that he would envisage having no bull licensing whatever?
: The ideal to aim at is that herd owners would themselves determine the type of bull they wish to buy, not so much by visual inspection but by reference to lactation records and the performance of the breed of the animal in question. As Deputy Walsh says, the estimation of a breeding animal's quality on visual grounds alone—a beauty contest—is plainly not the way to do it and I agree that it is leading to the selection of the wrong kind of animals. That is the wrong basis for the issue of licences.
: That does not justify having unlimited numbers of scrub bulls all around the country. If the Minister does away with licences, how will that be controlled?
: The situation must be changing and is shown to be changing by the most recent results of the use of artificial insemination. The situation where herd owners would have constantly to be badgered into breeding the right stock for themselves is not one I would contemplate with any kind of satisfaction. We must reach the time when stock breeders will stand on their own feet and will not lean on the Department of Agriculture or anybody else.