§ Mr. A. ROCHE (Cork)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that some cattle dealers in England buy English strippers of a very inferior kind and sell them in other parts of the country as Irish, thereby ruining the trade in Irish strippers, and that some imitate the Government brand which is imprinted on all cattle leaving Ireland; and whether the Department of Agriculture will take steps to secure Protection for Irish dealers analogous to that afforded by the national trade mark, and the appointment of inspectors to detect fraud.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe Department of Agriculture are not aware of the practice referred to. Their attention was recently drawn to a newspaper report of the proceedings at a meeting of the South of Ireland Cattle Trade Association, at 50 which the matter was mentioned; and they are in communication with that Association with the view of obtaining some definite information on the subject. When such information has been received, the Department will be in a position to consider what further action can be taken.