asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his views on the proposals outlined in the Fine Gael policy on bovine TB eradication and the alternative proposals, if any, he has to achieve the desired result.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bovine TB Eradication.
65.
The Fine Gael policy document of October 1987 on bovine TB corresponds in large part to the approach that I outlined on 25 September to the bodies representing farmers, farming cooperatives and veterinary surgeons. My proposals provide for a greater role in the schemes for representatives of farmers and veterinary surgeons by way of membership of a new management structure and for greater flexibility of decision-making by the establishment of an executive office and the appointment of a national manager. This approach seems to me to offer the best prospect of farmers, veterinary practitioners and officials working constructively in a combined effort to accelerate the eradication of the disease.
As announced in the Programme for National Recovery new arrangements for an aggressive drive against bovine TB will be introduced and it is my intention that the new structures will be in place by the beginning of the next round of testing in April 1988.
Did the Minister read the Fine Gael draft policy document published in June of this year which he asked me to send to him?
I have not read the document in full, however I have had the benefit of advice from people who have read and studied the document closely.
Do I take it that the Minister's announcement of 25 September reflected the thinking which I had set forth in the draft document of June 1987?
It represents the Government's position as expressed by this Minister.
Fine.
If there is a bipartisanship between the Deputy and myself, I welcome it.
The final seal of approval for my ideas is that the Minister should take them on board. I do not mind him stealing my clothes. Does the Minister accept there is an urgency in having the scheme finalised? Will he confirm that he is following on the lines of the proposal I made last June in the policy document published in October and that we will have a scheme along those lines announced very quickly?
The Deputy will not be surprised if I make the point that the difference between us is that I move into action, whereas his scheme was proposed when they were in Government and could have done something about it. Now we are doing something about it but the Deputy's suggestion is by and large in line with what we are doing, which is very important. What we see is the difference between action and comment.
No you are implementing——
It is a matter of urgency and I hope to reach a conclusion shortly.