§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Queen's County is not completely free from foot and mouth disease; whether there is any, and, if so, what, reason for continuing the Privy Council Order prohibiting the holding of fairs within the county; whether the regulations of the Local Sanitary Authorities have not been found fully adequate to guard against the introduction of the disease; whether the same authorities have addressed to the Lord Lieutenant remonstrances against the prohibition of fairs within their districts; and, whether the fairs usually held in the latter half of February at Mountmellick, Mountrath, and Maryborough are to be prohibited?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, the Queen's County is, according to the latest reports, free from foot-and-mouth disease. It remains under the provisions of the Privy Council Order prohibiting fairs and markets, because there were infected places in adjoining counties within the last 14 days. The regulations of the local sanitary authorities were not sufficient to guard against the introduction of the disease, because such regulations were made in only two out of six Unions wholly or partly within the county. The local authorities did remonstrate against the continuance of the Privy Council Order. The Lord Lieutenant did not feel that he would be justified in yielding to their wishes, but he caused them to be informed that he would favourably consider applica- 419 tions for licences to hold fairs wherever an infected place did not exist within 25 miles of the site of the fair. Under these conditions licences have been granted for the fairs at Mountrath and Maryborough. I am informed that a fair is not usually held at Mountmellick during the latter part of February.