asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is in a position to state the number of calves slaughtered, during the past year, in the Waterford and Cork areas, and whether he proposes to continue to permit the slaughter of young cattle.

The number of calves slaughtered for export during the year ended 31st March, 1947, in the Waterford and Cork areas was 5,784 and 24,936, respectively. The present relative high slaughtering of calves is entirely attributable to the scarcity and cost of feeding and to the rather poor prices obtainable for young stores in recent years. I do not propose to interfere with the producer's discretion in the matter.

So the Minister still intends to continue to allow the slaughtering of calves?

I still intend to allow those who raise these calves to use the discretion they are entitled to use as to whether it would pay them to rear them or not.

Is it paying to slaughter them?

I feel that the person who keeps these cows and breeds the calves is in a better position to determine the question than Deputy O'Leary.

Or yourself.

Or myself.

Is the Minister satisfied that the cow population has not decreased? Is he satisfied that by slaughtering the calves we can increase our store cattle? The Minister for Industry and Commerce wants people to produce more live stock, while the Minister for Agriculture wants to reduce the number of live stock. You cannot have it both ways and you ought all to be at least on the one word.

The Minister is satisfied that the figures as to the cow population are available to Deputy Keating as they are to him, and he is also satisfied that if we were to interfere with the farmer's discretion in this matter, the first man to raise his voice in the House against the Minister's action would be Deputy Keating.

Is the Minister serious in this? One Minister wants to see live stock produced and another wants to see them reduced. What does the Minister mean?

I know quite well what I mean.

It is my opinion you know nothing.