A national sheep identification system came into operation in June 2001 in the aftermath of the foot and mouth disease crisis last year. Initially the introduction of the system involved the tagging of all animals which were being moved off farms, followed by the tagging of the entire national flock by the end of last year. The system encompasses producers, marts, meat factories and others and provides for traceability from farm of origin through to the eventual carcass. Lamb processors are now required to link an individual sheep number to the number of the individual carcass, thereby ensuring full traceability and satisfying themselves as to the provenance of any animals they purchase.
My Department has developed and implemented a computerised cattle movement and monitoring system which has been operational for a number of years. CMMS records and tracks all bovines in Ireland from birth to slaughter and operates at all levels of production including farms, marts, ports and slaughterhouses.