Foot-and-Mouth Disease. (Hansard, 1 April 1914)

§ 65. Sir THOMAS ESMONDE
asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) if he has received a resolution from the Enniscorthy District Council asking him to remove the restrictions placed on the sale of cattle and pigs in county Wexford, in view of the facts that it is impossible for the farmers to obtain sufficient feeding stuffs, and that foot-and-mouth disease has never existed in county Wexford; and if he will state what reply has been given to the Enniscorthy District Council?

§ Mr. RUSSELL (Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture, Ireland)
The whole of the county Wexford has now been removed from the area of restrictions. The Enniscorthy District Council and other local bodies have been so informed.

§ 66. Mr. DELANY
asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he has received a copy of a resolution passed by the town commissioners of Mountmellick, requesting the Government to restore facilities for the shipping of Irish stock from unaffected areas to ports in this country, and pointing out the stringency of the restrictions in Ireland; can he say why Dublin was not included in the recent Order opening the northern ports and Sligo; and why King's and Queen's counties, which have been free from foot-and-mouth disease for a period of over thirty years, are not included within the area of the recent Order issued permitting shipment to certain ports in this country and Scotland of stock for immediate slaughter?

§ Mr. RUSSELL
The resolution referred to was duly received and replied to. Since Monday night the landing of animals from the ports of Belfast, Derry, Dundalk, and Sligo for immediate slaughter at Glasgow, Birkenhead, and Manchester has been authorised by an Order of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. The Board, in making this Order, made it a condition that the animals so shipped should come from the northern side of the boundary line agreed to by the two Departments.

§ 67. Mr. C. BATHURST
asked the present position of Ireland in the matter of foot-and-mouth disease; whether there have been any further outbreaks of the disease during the past week; and whether any of the previously existing restrictions have been relaxed?

§ Mr. RUSSELL
Since my reply to a similar question by the hon. Member last Thursday, two further outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have occurred in county Cork and two in county Dublin, making fifty-four outbreaks in Ireland altogether. Restrictions have been removed from those districts in Munster temporarily scheduled pending the result of investigations on the movement of certain calves from Cork; these animals have now been traced, but restrictions remain on all districts within fifteen miles of any outbreak of the disease. The customary area has been scheduled on account of the outbreaks in county Dublin.

§ Mr. BATHURST
Is there any indication as to the source of the outbreak in the county Dublin?

§ Mr. RUSSELL
The outbreak at Stepaside, county Dublin, occurred only two days ago, and I do not think that the officers of the Department have had time to do anything more than make the elaborate arrangements that are necessary for seeing to the food supply of Dublin and the immediate neighbourhood, but I will undertake to endeavour to make the matter as clear as possible.

§ Mr. FIELD
Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Dublin market will be open to-morrow?

§ Mr. RUSSELL
The whole of the city and the vicinity of Dublin are within the fifteen-mile radius of the place where the outbreak occurred.

§ Mr. GINNELL
May I ask the right hon. Gentleman the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture whether Mullingar Fair, which is due to be held on the 6th April, and is one of the most important fairs of the year, will be allowed to be held?

§ Mr. RUSSELL
Yes. Representations were made by the Department at Mullin-gar yesterday, and a satisfactory arrangement was arrived at.

§ Mr. KILBRIDE
May I ask whether under the new regulation drawing a line from east to west, and providing that no cattle north of that line are allowed to be exported, applies to any store cattle imported from Mullingar and taken up North?

§ Mr. RUSSELL
Yes; the boundary line must be kept.

§ Mr. KILBRIDE
For store cattle?

§ Mr. RUSSELL
Yes.