County Kerry was granted special status for TB testing and I should like to know if the Minister is satisfied with the testing carried out in that county by the young vets sent out by the Department? I recommended to the Minister that he get local vets to do the testing. Is the Minister aware that the testing carried out by Department vets was unsatisfactory and had to be carried out a second time?

We are thoroughly dissatisfied with the problem that has arisen in Kerry. We designated Kerry as a special status zone last June but it never worked because of a number of difficulties. There has not been agreement between my Department and the two veterinary unions concerned. I intend to have a look at the matter to see if I can resolve the problem. It is unsatisfactory.

I suggest that there would be better results if the two tests were carried out by local vets who do all tests rather than by the Department vets who have been carrying out the second test.

I will examine that suggestion. We discussed the matter privately and I had hoped that we could come to some arrangement that would be satisfactory to veterinary surgeon interests and everybody concerned.