asked the Minister for Justice if he will state the number of prosecutions in County Cavan during the last twelve months for the keeping of unlicensed dogs, and, whether, owing to the number of sheep destroyed by dogs he will cause careful investigation to be made in the matter of unlicensed dogs.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - UNLICENSED DOGS.
I did not receive notice of this question in time to have a special report made but, perhaps, it will be sufficient if I say that there were probably no such prosecutions by reason of the fact that I was advised that owing to certain difficulties in the way of complying strictly with the statute of 1865 a prosecution would probably fail.
The law was, however, amended by last year's Finance Act and the dog tax is now a revenue duty under the management of the Revenue Commissioners who will, presumably, see that the tax is strictly enforced.
Will the Minister say why the money received for the dog tax has been taken away from the county councils altogether—from the relief of local taxation?
That is a separate question.