asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the number of applications he has received for special term Hereford bulls from farmers in (a) Roscommon and (b) Leitrim; and the number of these bulls he intends to allocate to each of these counties.

The number of applications has been 13 from County Leitrim and four from County Roscommon. The number to be allocated has not been finally decided.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary give me any indication of the number that is to be allocated? If my information is correct, it is very small.

No firm figure has been fixed and it would be prejudicial to the interests of all if I were to hazard a guess at this stage. It would be only a guess.

If I gave the figure as none, would the Parliamentary Secretary accept it?

I would not.

I am glad of that.