Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 6

Written Answers. - Cattle Identification Tags.

Paul Connaughton

Question:

191 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will allow cattle to be slaughtered at meat factories where one of the two cattle identification tag numbers are missing but where the relevant identification cards clearly accord with the remaining ear tag number; the reason his Department insists on these cattle being returned to the farm; and if his attention has been drawn to the unnecessary hardship it causes for the farming community. [6951/99]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

In accordance with Community and national legislation, cattle born since 1996 must be identified inter alia, by means of two plastic ear tags each containing the same unique tag number. An animal bearing only one plastic ear tag is not properly identified and must not be moved from a holding.

In a small number of cases cattle are presented for slaughter at meat plants/abbattoirs with a single ear tag. Exceptionally, and to deal with such cases, my Department has recently introduced arrangements to allow such animals to be considered for slaughter provided not more than a percentage of the animals in the consignment are missing one ear tag and that the animals in question comply with the other EU identification requirements, that is, (i) that they have a valid passport document, (ii) that they are recorded on the national registration database and (iii) that they are correctly recorded in the herdowner's onfarm herd register. Experience has shown that where animals are correctly and securely tagged in accordance with instructions, tag loss in transit is low.