asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will ensure that veterinary experts in his Department will accompany any shipment of sheep from this country to North Africa.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sheep Shipments.
31.
Veterinary inspectors of my Department have accompanied shipments of sheep to the Mediterranean area on occasions in the past and this will, of course, again be arranged if at any time I consider it necessary to obtain veterinary advice as to how the animals fared in transit and after landing.
Might I ask the Minister to use his best endeavours to see that no silly old women, of either sex, are allowed interfere with the livelihoods of farmers in mountainous parts of the country in the finding of export outlets for our sheep; to ensure that, given reasonable standards of treatment of the animals, obstruction from people of that kind will be firmly turned away?
I can assure the Deputy that obstruction for obstruction's sake will not be tolerated.