Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 Feb 2000

Vol. 513 No. 3

Written Answers. - Bovine Disease Controls.

John Gormley

Question:

161 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the information, if any, he has regarding the practice of spreading blood from meat factories onto agricultural land; if his attention has been drawn to the allegation that blood from a company (details supplied) is being transported to County Galway for this purpose; if farmers who do spread blood on their land are not allowed to keep cattle on that land; if so, the reason behind this rule; the position with the farmer's cattle on the other side of the fence; the reason these farmers are allowed to sell silage, corn and straw grown from this land; and the safeguards, if any, in place to ensure that tuberculosis, brucellosis and BSE are not being spread by these practices. [2441/00]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

The relevant EU and national legislation provides for the segregation of blood into high and low risk categories.

The plant referred to by the Deputy, has a segregation facility in its blood collection system and the blood which is high risk material is rendered.

As there is no disease risk associated with the disposal of low risk blood on land, my Department does not provide controls on animals that may be associated with such land.

My Department has again recently reminded plant operators that high risk blood, or blood from plants without an acceptable segregation system, must be rendered.