Vol. 488 No. 7
141 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if brucellosis is being widely disseminated through the practice of the same needle being used on all animals in herds from which blood samples are taken for analyses under the brucellosis eradication programme and the changes, if any, he will introduce in this regard. [7080/98]
Needles and other equipment are provided free by my Department to veterinary practitioners involved in the TB and brucellosis testing programmes. Instructions to practitioners require a different needle to be used for each animal sampled.
142 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the significant increase in bovine tuberculosis outbreaks in cattle herds, which many veterinary practitioners attribute to the discontinuation of the 30 day pre-movement test, now justifies the re-introduction of this test in tandem with the imminent 30 day pre-movement testing for brucellosis. [7081/98]
There is no evidence available to suggest that the incident of bovine tuberculosis is increasing. The level of bovine tuberculosis as measured by reactors disclosed per thousand animal tests (APT) has decreased from 3.3 in 1995 to 3.0 in 1996 and 2.9 in 1997. In the circumstances I do not propose to re-introduce the 30 day pre-movement test.
