asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason his Department have refused repeated requests from the Joint Sheep Dipping Committee of Counties Cork, Kerry, Waterford and South Tipperary to introduce a second compulsory dipping each year for a trial period of three years and thereby eliminate sheep scab disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Sheep Dipping.
46.
The dipping of sheep for the purpose of controlling and ultimately eradicating sheep scab is a statutory obligation on farmers under the Sheep Dipping Order, 1965. The order originally required dipping to be carried out twice each year — in summer and autumn — but was amended in 1977 to provide for one dipping only, to be carried out in the period 15 September to 31 January. The change was made on the recommendation of a special deapartmental veterinary committee which studied sheep scab and determined that the mite which causes scab does not generally become active until late autumn or winter. Experience elsewhere has shown that the only effective way to control the disease is by proper dipping at that time of year.