asked the Minister for Health why he refused to approve the sale of land adjacent to St. Finan's Hospital, Killarney, County Kerry, by the Southern Health Board to a firm for use as an abattoir; if he is aware that this sale was approved by the Southern Health Board and that all technical and medical advice submitted to them favoured their decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

My refusal to approve of the sale of this plot of land was based on the advice of my medical and technical officers to the effect that it would be undesirable to have an abattoir so close to the psychiatric hospital.

Is the Minister aware that all the medical and technical advice tendered to the Southern Health Board favoured the disposal of the land in question for use as a public abattoir?

I am so aware.

Is the Minister also aware that the executive staff and the members of the Southern Health Board were most anxious that the public abattoir should be set up on the lands as designated in the report submitted to the Minister?

Yes, I am informed that the health board did have this view.

In view of all this, would the Minister reconsider his decision?

The Minister would be prepared to consider the sale of some portion of the land to build an abattoir but he considers and so do his advisers, that 300 yards away from a hospital is not a suitable place for an abattoir, having regard to pollution, noise, effluent, gas, smoke, traffic and so on.