Seymour Crawford
Question:54 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when there will be full computerisation of the national herd; and the reason the implementation of such a scheme is taking so long. [15437/97]
Written Answers. - Bovine Traceability System.
Michael Ring
Question:127 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress, if any, he has made on the development of a computerised bovine traceability system; and the estimated costs of this system to be taken on by the Exchequer. [15445/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 127 together.
A key element to be introduced under the national beef assurance scheme is the computerised movement monitoring system — CMMS. The CMMS will bring together all data relating to bovine animal events, such as birth details, herd location at time of premium/headage claim and of certain disease tests, slaughter or export details, as well as information on movements between the various locations, in particular inter-herd movements. The CMMS, therefore, when constituted will be a computerised traceability record of bovine animals in the national herd.
The major and most important element of the CMMS relates to the data on animal movements. It is also the most difficult to plan and implement. The data will be ascertained, in particular, from movement notifications to be made by marts and movement notifications to be made by individual herdowners. Arrangements have also to be made to improve the collection of data in respect of cattle slaughterings and exports.
Consultations are being held with the mart organisations to settle arrangements for the effective participation by the marts in the CMMS by way of direct computer links to the Department's central computer. These arrangements are proving more problematic than had been envisaged, particularly because of the lack of computer facilities-usage at many marts. Nonetheless, it is hoped to commence an initial pilot operation of the system at a number of marts within a matter of weeks and then to move to a wider and more comprehensive implementation over the coming period.
The arrangements to be implemented for inter-farm movements to be notified by herdowners also are in the planning stages. These arrangements have to take place with due regard to recent EU Council legislation on bovine animal identification and registration and in accordance with related Commission implementing rules. The regulation dealing with the latter has not yet been finalised or adopted but is expected to be settled shortly at upcoming meetings in Brussels.
Some £3 million capital has been allocated for CMMS in 1997. The amount to be provided for 1998 is soon to be determined in the context of the 1998 Estimates.