asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that payments to veterinary surgeons for TB and brucellosis testing are very much in arrears; and the reasons payment, due for some time, to a person (details supplied) in Sligo has not yet issued.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Veterinary Surgeons' Fees.
3.
I am not so aware. In general payments to veterinary surgeons for TB and brucellosis testing in respect of properly documented claims are made within one month. In keeping with the general position there has been no undue delay in the making of payments to the person named by the Deputy.
Is the Minister not aware that on numerous occasions in the last 12 months I have had to make representations to have this man paid money which is due to him for, on a number of occasions, seven and eight months? He is at present due about £4,000 from the Department. Is the Minister not aware that, despite all the talk about the efforts to encourage disease eradication among cattle, this problem where vets are not being paid for the work they do until many months afterwards is causing a lot of trouble and is likely to cause much more trouble unless the Minister is prepared to do something about it?
Prior to August 1980 this year certain claims lodged by the practitioner in question were withheld because he had not lodged the specific form TB 313. Since mid-August the practitioner has complied with this and there is no undue delay in the payment due to him.
Surely the Minister will agree that this form, which was only invented a few months ago, could have no bearing on arrears of payments due for seven or eight months previously. Is the Minister not aware that one of the excuses given for non-payment of this money was that one of the very junior officials of the Department was ill and as a result the payment could not be made? Surely this has become completely ridiculous particularly as the Minister's predecessor gave me a similar reply last year although subsequently a sum of nearly £5,000, being arrears due to this man from the previous year, was paid within a month.
I have explained to the Deputy what occurred on that occasion.
I am not prepared to accept that because I know it is not true. It is not the Minister's fault. It is the explanation which he has got. I would ask him to check personally particularly as the person concerned is living in Sligo.
He is a great friend of mine, too.
It would be a friendly act if the Minister would see that the man is paid, because otherwise he cannot carry on his work.
I have given the reasons for the delay. At the moment there is no delay because the practitioner concerned is complying with all the regulations.
Does the Minister now tell me that the full arrears due to this man have been paid?
They are paid within one month.
He has then been paid up to October 1980. If that is not correct, and I believe it is not correct, I propose to raise the matter again on the adjournment of this House.
I have told the Deputy that there are no undue delays in relation to the person concerned.
What does the Minister mean by "undue delays"?
That is what I said in the reply. I am told there are no undue delays.