Vol. 500 No. 7
238 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the inspection procedures in place to monitor imports of animal feed from Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom to ensure that they do not contain meat and bone meal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5065/99]
Commission Decision 98/256/EC of 16 March 1998, concerning emergency measures to protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy provides inter alia that the United Kindom shall ensure that the following are not dispatched from its territory to other member states or third countries: live bovine animals and bovine embryos; meat meal, bone meal and meat and bone meal derived of mammalian origin; and, animal feed and fertilisers containing material referred to above.
All premises involved in the sale of compound feeding stuffs intended for feeding to ruminant animals – cattle, sheep, deer and goats – are subject to regular inspections by my Department. Compound feedstuffs and ingredients for such feedstuffs are monitored using the microscopic test for bone fragments. Where bone fragments are found in such feedstuffs or ingredients the consignment is seized and must be disposed of other than by feeding to ruminant animals under the supervision of staff of my Department.
As a member of the European Union, Ireland is obliged to comply with legislation relating to the free circulation of animal feedstuffs. It is a matter for the UK authorities to ensure that the requirements of Commission Decision 98/256/EC are respected. While imports of compound animal feedstuffs are selected for sampling on a regular basis, such imports cannot be specifically targeted for monitoring.
