Vol. 474 No. 4
56 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when he anticipates full computerisation of the national cattle herd will be introduced; the way in which he proposes to introduce full traceability for cattle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3081/97]
In recent months, my Department has been working on providing improved computer facilities in relation to the identification and tracing of bovine animals. In that regard I am glad to say that a new on-line computer facility, known as the animal location file (ALF) is about to be made available to the Department's veterinary control and certification staff throughout the country. The animal location file will include animal data from the following sources: database of headage-premium schemes; animals recorded in ERAD special category herds; animals registered under the calf birth registration scheme introduced in early 1996; animals slaughtered at meat plants and at local abattoirs; animals exported live.
The animal location file will clearly give a wide range of information on significant numbers of individual bovine animals for use by my officials, thus enabling us to provide significant additional reassurances as regards the origin and status of our cattle and beef.
The system will contain a comprehensive snapshot record of each animal without necessarily listing each individual movement. The latter is an important and necessary feature of a fully comprehensive cattle traceability system and is the next element to be introduced. In that regard I am considering what arrangements should be put in place to record movements on and off farms and via marts. I envisage that as from a date to be decided later this year, farmers and others disposing of and acquiring bovine animals will have to notify the details of each animal's movement to my Department for recording on the computer database. Such an animal movement notification system would be immediately preceded by the taking of a national census of all herds.
I expect to make a detailed announcement of my definitive intentions in the near future.
