§ Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why the Department of Agriculture have required the Ballina Urban District Council, as the local market authority, to provide a new weighbridge with suitable cage for the weighing of live stock, and why the suggestion of the council to have a suitable cage fitted to their existing weighbridge is not acceptable to the Department; is he aware that in the adjoining town of Ardnaree, where the market tolls are the property of a local 346W landlord, no such provision is demanded; and will he explain why the Department have different requirements for the two classes of market authority?
§ Mr. BIRRELLHaving regard to the importance of the fairs held at Ballina, the Department of Agriculture consider that adequate accommodation for weighing cattle should be provided. There are at present two weighing machines in the town, but one is of an obsolete type and quite unsuitable. The other machine is too small to permit of a cage of suitable size being placed upon it. The proposal of the urban district council to have a cage fitted to one of the existing machines could not therefore be agreed to. The hon. Member appears to be under a misapprehension as regards Ardnaree. The Department have asked that suitable weighing accommodation be provided there also.