Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Nov 1998

Vol. 497 No. 2

Written Answers - Sheep Imports.

Ulick Burke

Question:

173 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he has satisfied himself that lamb being brought into Irish processing plants from Northern Ireland and Britain is free of disease and is not branded as Irish lamb before it is offered for sale within this country or in other EU countries; if he will make a statement in relation to the tracability of this lamb. [24704/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

The common organisation of the EU sheep market provides for free trade in both live animals and meat. All sheep presented for slaughter at EU approved plants supervised by my Department are subject to veterinary examination and are accepted for slaughter on the basis of freedom from clinical signs of disease.

As regards imports, the position is that sheep for slaughter coming from Britain, either directly or through Northern Ireland, must be accompanied by an animal health certificate signed by an official veterinary inspector and be assigned to a particular slaughterhouse. Under EU regulations, all sheep for export must undergo a health inspection within 48 hours prior to loading and must not show any clinical signs of disease before being certified.

Details of each consignment of animals for export are required to be sent in advance by the relevant authority to the district veterinary office, DVO, in the county of destination, through the EU animal notification system, ANIMO.

Since November 1992, a bilateral arrangement has existed between my Department and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, DANI, in respect of sheep going to an from Northern Ireland. Under the arrangement, sheep of Northern Ireland origin may move freely here andvice versa.

There is no EU or national legislation in relation to the branding of lamb. The food labelling requirements provide that food sold in prepackaged form must carry the name of the country of origin only when the absence of this information would mislead. The application of this legislation is monitored by the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs.

The bulk of sheep slaughtered at EU approved plants are sent out of the country with commercial documentation or veterinary health certification which only requires that the plant of slaughter be identified.