asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he will lay on the Table a memorandum of the proceedings of the recent conference between the Transport Department, the Department of Agriculture, and the representatives of the Cattle Traders' Association in regard to the alleged excessive charged for conveyance of cattle from Saorstát ports.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Freights Conference.
It would be unusual to lay a memorandum of such a Conference as this on the Table. The proceedings were open to the Press and were duly reported. I do not think it necessary, therefore, to adopt the Deputy's suggestion.
Even if it is unusual, could there be any reasonable objection? This question affects matter that is very prominently before the public and that memorandum would be a valuable means of getting the Government position on the matter. I suggest the Minister might give some more reasonable explanation than he has given.
The memorandum could not give anything more reasonable—"Proceedings of the recent conference between the Transport Department, the Department of Agriculture and the representatives of the Cattle Traders' Association." All that was open to the Press and was published at great length. The Deputy has it all.
Will the Minister say if it was correctly reported?
In the main, correctly reported.
If it is only "in the main" I suggest that we should have the whole of it.
I suggest the expense would be too much.