asked the Minister for Agriculture if he has received, from the officers of his Department in County Wicklow, reports as to the losses of live stock in that county during the past few months; if he will state the number of (i) cows, (ii) other cattle; and (iii) sheep that have died; and the direct cause of the deaths, as far as they can be ascertained.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Live-Stock Losses in Wicklow.
My Department has received from the officers of the county committees of agriculture in the various counties, including County Wicklow, reports on the losses of live stock during recent months. In the nature of things the figures of losses supplied in these reports cannot be regarded as more than rough approximations. Without a special enumeration which would take considerable time precise figures could not be made available. Even then it would be impossible to distinguish between normal and abnormal losses. The latter were due mainly to the abnormal severity of the weather combined with a shortage of feeding stuffs.
Will the Minister say what machinery he intends to set up for the purpose of finding out accurately what are the losses? I have received reports that, in the County Wicklow, there have been enormous losses, and that in some cases farmers have lost nearly 90 per cent. of their stock. In some cases the loss of cattle is even greater than the loss of sheep. I think that the situation is very serious, and that it would be necessary to have an immediate investigation in order to get accurate reports.
The reports which I have received in the case of the County Wicklow while, undoubtedly, they establish fairly severe losses, are not as alarming as the Deputy would have us believe, but then I am not trying to give any figure, knowing as I do and as members of the House must know, the unreliability of any figure that is supplied, even in the most conscientious way.