Written Answers. - Herd Register.
Michael Ring
Question:
25
Mr. Ring
asked the
Minister for Agriculture and Food
if he will impose a more reasonable penalty for errors when completing the herd register of bovine animals and animals remedies record in view of the fact the register is restrictive, time consuming and difficult for farmers to complete and the proposed penalty impositions for human error are too harsh.
[13099/99]
Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh): Since 1996 herdowners have under EU legislation been required to keep herd registers of all cattle on their holdings. In accordance with Council Regulation (EC) 820/97, they have been required to record additional information since 1 January 1998 in relation to animal movements to and from their holdings.
The herd register is an essential element of the cattle traceability arrangements that have been put in place throughout the EU to provide the assurances demanded by consumers. From a national viewpoint, these traceability arrangements are vital in protecting the export interests of the Irish beef industry.
EU legislation provides for a range of penalties to be applied in cases of non-compliance with identification and registration requirements including situations where the herd register is not properly maintained. These measures include loss or reduction of premia and other payments and restrictions being placed on the movement of animals to and from holdings. As these sanctions are set down in EU Regulations, they apply equally to herdowners in all member states of the Community. It is not open to me to modify these penalties.
In practice, the proper completion of the on-farm register is checked during inspections and where non-compliance with the identification and registration requirements is relatively low the farmer is advised of the problem encountered with non-compliance and is informed that a further inspection will be carried out. However where persistent non-compliance is found the regulation requires the imposition of penalties under the premia and headage schemes.
In addition to headage and premia penalties, failure to comply fully with identification-registration requirements, including the maintenance of the register, may result in loss of entitlement to other payments, to restrictions being placed on movements to or from holdings and-or to prosecution.
As regards animal remedies, the position is that the maintenance of records which is provided for in EU and national legislation, is an important element in the chain of control designed to ensure that consumers are not exposed to illegal and potentially harmful residues. As such, I am sure that the Deputy will readily accept that it must be completed fully and accurately by farmers each time a medicine with a withdrawal period is administered.
To facilitate herdowners in meeting their obligations, my Department is in the process of supplying a consolidated herd register book to each herdowner free of charge. This book contains clear instructions as to how the records must be kept. In addition provision has been made to allow the records to be kept on certain computer packages. The information which herdowners are required to record in the herd register is relatively straightforward. If herdowners follow the instructions and maintain their registers in the correct fashion, they should not experience any difficulties.
