§ MR. KENNEDY (Westmeath, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction has been approached by the County Live Stock Committee of the County Westmeath for leave to grant premiums for this year for thoroughbred bulls three and four years old exhibited at the County Westmeath or other shows, on the grounds that it will be impossible to obtain the necessary number of younger bulls owing to restrictions on importation! consequent on the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in England, and seeing that otherwise small farmers will be obliged to breed from indifferently bred bulls, and that half of the grant for premiums is contributed by the ratepayers, can he state whether the Department is entitled to ignore the views of their committee, and will he take steps to give effect to them.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. WYNDHAM.) DoverCattle-breeding schemes approved by the Department must be voluntarily accepted by a county council before any charge can fall on the rates, hence there is no danger of local views being ignored. As the main object of the scheme is to promote the introduction of young bulls, preferably yearlings, the Department was not able to consent to the exception proposed by the Westmeath Committee. I am inquiring whether the difficulties due to restriction on importations from England were fully considered before the decision was arrived at.