Vol. 489 No. 6
276 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will review the operation of the calf tagging system with a view to ensuring that each farmer is issued with a fixed number of tags over and above the number of pregnant animals. [8785/98]
Every effort is made to ensure sufficient delivery of tags to all herdowners, while at the same time ensuring that supply is under strict control. The allocation of tags for herdowners is based on the number of breeding females in the herd and the level of tag supplies and birth registrations for each year since 1996. Where a herdowner has insufficient tags for calves born in his herd a request for extra tags can be made to the local district veterinary office using the appropriate application form.
