asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a delay in having cattle headage inspections carried out in west Cavan-Belturbet electoral division; that the inspectors are not accepting factory dockets for heifers sent for slaughter by farmers who could not wait for the inspectors to call; if he will now give an undertaking to have the inspections completed immediately; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Cattle Headage Inspections.
35.
There is no particular delay in cattle headage inspections in west Cavan and, indeed, at this stage some 86 per cent of those inspections have been completed as compared with only 75 per cent at the same time last year.
District electoral divisions are inspected in rotation each year so that every area is dealt with fairly over a number of years. As it happens, the turn of Belturbet electoral division to be inspected in 1987 came up only recently but I understand that inspections in that electoral division will be completed before the end of next week.
Factory dockets are not being accepted in Cavan or any other county this year for heifers sent for slaughter before inspection. This concession was given in 1985 and 1986 because of the extremely poor weather which persisted during both of those years but cannot be justified in 1987 because the weather this year has been generally good.