asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware of the peculiar anomaly that has arisen in the new testing scheme for TB eradication whereby a herdowner who wishes to sell stock cannot in many cases have his herd tested for three weeks because of the advance notification required by his Department, if he is also aware of the extreme hardship being caused to many farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - T.B. Eradication.
628.
It has been an integral part of the herd testing arrangements for many years that a farmer whose herd is due to be tested in a particular period is not permitted to have a pre-movement test of individual animals in his herd until the herd test has been completed. There are good reasons for this procedure, which remains unchanged for the 1985 round of testing.
The difficulty to which the Deputy refers arises only where a farmer wishes to avail of a herd test for the sale of stock. The problem can be avoided if the farmer gives adequate notice of his marketing proposals to the veterinary surgeon who has been nominated to test his herd.