§ Mr. LUNDONasked the Chief Secretary if, in view of the fact that the majority of the district councils of Ireland have refused to put the Dairies and Cowsheds Act into operation on the ground that it is unnecessary and only creating additional taxation, the Local Government Board will withdraw legal proceedings which have been threatened against some such councils, and make the Order, heretofore compulsory, an optional one with the various councils as to whether they will enforce it or not?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI understand that only a very small minority of the district councils in Ireland have refused to put the Order in question into operation. Officers have already been appointed for nearly half the districts in the country, and additions are steadily being made to their numbers. Compulsory action has only been taken by the Local Government Board with respect to districts which are recognised as large milk producing areas,2420W and in which the conditions attaching to the production of the public milk supply have been found on inspection to be unsatisfactory. The Board, therefore, see no reason whatever to withdraw legal proceedings as suggested. In the interests of public health it is necessary that every step should be taken to ensure that the Order shall come into operation throughout the country.