Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Jun 1998

Vol. 493 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Animal Health Regulations.

Mr. Connaughton

I thank the Minister for coming to reply to the debate. This matter concerns dairy hygiene and the animal health requirements that will have to be certified on every dairy farm. I agree with the system but I want to bring to the attention of the Minister for Agriculture and Food and the Minister for Health and Children the fact that this certification must be carried out on the farm by a veterinary surgeon.

The veterinary surgeon must certify a number of matters. First, that the animals do not show any sign of infectious diseases that could be transmitted to humans; second, that the general state of health is not impaired by any visible disorder; third, that the animals do not show any udder wounds likely to affect milk; fourth — and this is important — that the animals are not giving abnormal milk; and, fifth, that the animals are yielding at least two litres of milk per day and have not been treated with any dangerous substance.

I want to deal with the fourth requirement that the animals are not giving abnormal milk. The local veterinary surgeons are very familiar with these dairy farms. They visit them regularly to do cattle tests, help with difficult calving and attend to other matters. Invariably they sell any required drugs to the farmers so there is a complete record of the drugs being used on the farms.

Following a visual inspection, veterinary surgeons must sign a form stating that cows are not giving abnormal milk. Unless a veterinary surgeon drew milk from every teat of every animal in that herd, he could not sign such a certificate.

I raised this matter with the Minister last week in another context. I hope the veterinary section in the Department of Agriculture and Food contacts the veterinary authorities in Europe, that is if they have any authority over this area, to ensure veterinary surgeons will be in a position to stand over any certificates they sign. A number of veterinary practitioners came to me about this matter and said they have no problem with certifying dairy farmers whom they know well and who run their farms well, but that they could not lend their names to certification forms stating that cows do not produce bad quality milk. How would those people know that was the case unless they were present when the cows were milked? The regulations should be changed because milk is tested at the milk processing plant and there is no danger that bad quality milk will get through the system.

In today's Irish Farmers' Journal I read that the Minister has decided to defer the certification requirements for another year. That will give us an opportunity to come back to this matter again. It is not possible for a veterinary practitioner to sign the certification form unless he or she stays with the cows day and night. I hope when arrangements are made between the Irish Veterinary Union and farmers, there will not be a huge fee for certification. The cost should be integrated with payment for the annual test.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Dr. McDaid)

I thank Deputy Connaughton for raising this matter and apologise for my colleague, Deputy Walsh, who is unavailable to reply.

The rules for the hygienic production of milk and dairy products throughout the European Union are set out in Council regulation — EEC — and its associated directives. This EU legislation is given legal effect in Ireland by S.l. No. 9 of 1996. This is very comprehensive legislation which covers everything from the animal health of the milking animals to the labelling of finished products leaving the processing plants.

The requirements in relation to the animal health status of dairy herds is set down in Regulation 9 of S.l. No. 9 of 1996. To put in place a scheme for the certification of dairy herds under that regulation, the Department conducted detailed discussions with representatives of all parties concerned, the farming organisation, the co-operatives and the veterinary organisations. Resulting from those discussions a form of certification was drawn up which was to be signed by the farmer and a veterinary practitioner and forwarded to the concern to which producers supplied milk. There are essentially two elements involved in the certificate, a farmer's declaration and veterinary certification.

Certain practical difficulties emerged with the implementation of the scheme and, despite further discussions, the matter has not yet been resolved. However, to allow for the additional time which will be required to try to resolve the matter satisfactorily, it has been decided to defer the date by which certification must be completed until 31 December 1998. This will allow further discussion to take place with all parties. As part of those discussions, the casting of the certificate will be re-examined, with the responsibilities of the parties involved, in respect of the various declarations contained in the certificate.

The two points mentioned by the Deputy are matters which will be covered in the certification and will, of course, be included in the forthcoming discussions. In the Minister's view, these are both important points in ensuring milk is safe, wholesome and of a quality which is, rightly, expected by the modern consumer.