§ MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)To ask the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he can state the number of adverse reports that have been made to him by his inspectors regarding the indequate loading accommodation and irregular cattle transit of the various Irish railways; and whether he will state what steps he intends to take to act on these reports and remedy the existing state of cattle transit in Ireland.
(Answered by Mr. T. W. Russell.) Inspectors of the Department are constantly visiting railway stations to report on the animal transit arrangements. A numerical statement of the nature suggested in the Question would not be of any real value, and might lead to erroneous inferences. The Department are in frequent communication with the railway companies on matters arising out of the inspectors' reports; and by this procedure, coupled with, when necessary, consultation with the railway officials, improvements in the accommodation for animal traffic have been brought about at many stations. At some others improvements are known to be contemplated, while in further instances consideration is pending, and the matter will not be lost sight of by the Department.