asked the Minister for Health if he will mount a campaign, in conjunction with the bovine TB and brucellosis eradication campaign, to make the general public aware, especially in the rural areas, of the dangers of these diseases to human health.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Disease Danger.
20.
I welcome the Deputy's concern in this matter and in fact, at my request, the Health Education Bureau are preparing a public education programme aimed at alerting people to the danger of contracting brucellosis and tuberculosis from infected milk and milk products.
I am also endeavouring to curb the spread of these diseases in humans in other ways. The process of having the compulsory pasteurisation of milk introduced throughout the country is going ahead and local authorities have responded to my request to apply for special designation orders in respect of their areas of jurisdiction. In addition to the compulsory pasteurisation of milk, my Department have been promoting the use of pasteurised milk in health institutions and in other institutions or services in which public funds are used.
Will the Minister state how many parts of the country are at present covered by the special designation orders for pasteurisation?
It is a fairly long list.
What proportion of the country would be covered?
That is my problem. There are orders in force in Athy, Arklow, Bray, Cobh, Dun Laoghaire, Kells, Dundalk, Midleton, Naas, Navan, Trim, Wicklow, in the cities of Dublin, Limerick and Waterford and in the counties of Cavan, south Cork, Waterford and Wicklow. Dublin county and Enniscorthy and other urban districts have recently applied for orders as well.
Does it not still mean that great areas of the country do not have special designation orders attaching to them in relation to pasteurisation? Would the Minister not consider taking up again with the local authorities and actively pursuing the matter of having these orders made?
About 30 per cent of the milk now consumed is outside pasteurisation; it is raw milk.
40 per cent.
Is an individual who contracts brucellosis eligible for free treatment under the infectious diseases regulations?
No.
It is quite an important consideration for such a disease. Would the Minister consider it desirable to have it included as an infectious disease eligible for free treatment?
I will consult my medical adviser about that.
Does the Minister consider that the raw milk being consumed, which according to my information is about 40 per cent, is dangerous to an appreciable degree? Is there any established procedure for liaison between the Department of Health and the veterinary services of the Department of Agriculture to identify tuberculosis and brucellosis and in relation to taking preventative measures on a co-ordinated basis?
My information is that about 30 per cent of the total milk consumed by humans is raw milk. I would regard that as a contributing factor to the spread of tuberculosis and brucellosis. The co-operation which the Deputy is talking about between my Department and the Department of Agriculture already exists.
Is there any established procedure for automatic notification to the Minister's Department of outbreaks of brucellosis, or is the co-operation something that works on a haphazard basis?
No. It is something which all the health boards take account of in the normal way. We have exact figures for the incidence of brucellosis.
Would the Minister not agree——
Question No. 21. The question on the Order Paper was put down by Deputy Walsh and it asks if the Minister will mount a campaign to make people aware of the dangers of these diseases.
(Interruptions.)
I should like to know if the Minister would agree that the first people to know of an outbreak would be the Department of Agriculture and if there is an established procedure?
I can give the Deputy the figures if he wishes.
That is not what I am asking.
The Deputy wants to know if we are aware of them and the figures show that we must be aware of them.
It is not the figures a year after the event that I am interested in; it is prevention.
The Deputy wanted to know were we aware of the incidence of tuberculosis and brucellosis. I am prepared to give him the figures.
That was not the question I was asking, but I would be glad if the Minister would send me the figures.
The Minister cannot. There is no post.
Question No. 21.