asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries how many claims he has received for cows losing their calf consequent on the use of warble fly dressing; and whether he will allow compensation in cases where loss of this kind is established to have occurred in the absence of brucellosis.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Abortions in Cattle.
8.
There have been 572 claims in respect of abortions in cattle following on the use of warble fly dressing.
The expert opinion available to me, which is backed by experience in this and other countries, is that the organo-phosphorus compounds used for the treatment of cattle for warble fly do not cause abortion and do not, in fact, have any effect whatsoever on the course of pregnancy. In face of this I would not feel justified in allowing compensation simply because an animal which was dressed for warbles aborts and brucellosis is shown not to have been the cause.
In a small number of cases involving abortions where it was shown that there was an allergic reaction to the warble fly dressing compensation has been allowed and this practice will continue.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary know or, perhaps, he could ask the Minister for Agriculture how does he distinguish between an allergic reaction to warble fly dressing precipitating abortion and a cow aborting simply because she was dressed with the warble fly dressing?
I presume there would be other signs of allergy in an allergic reaction, skin reaction.
How would you determine the allergy? Would you expect the cow to sneeze?
Possibly.
I think there are fairly well recognised signs of allergy.
I do not think there are.