Vol. 533 No. 5
29 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if BSE tests carried out by a company (details supplied) are satisfactory in detecting the disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7861/01]
In 1999, the EU Commission validated three rapid diagnostic tests for the detection of BSE. Each member state was free to choose one or more of these three tests to conduct active surveillance in its territory. In Ireland, as in Denmark, a test developed by the company referred to has been used for this purpose.
Each of the tests validated by the Commission proved extremely accurate in identifying the infective agent in samples from diseased animals in the course of the Commission's validation exercise. All three validated tests have also detected BSE in some pre-clinical animals.
However, none can be taken as providing an absolute guarantee that BSE is not in the very early stages of incubation in tested animals, although to date none of the BSE cases detected in Ireland have been in animals born since the enhanced controls adopted in 1996 and 1997 began to take effect. The rapid tests, therefore, should be seen as a very valuable addition to the existing range of BSE measures that remain in place. In this context, it is undoubtedly reassuring that more than 60,000 animals over 30 months of age intended for human consumption have been tested since 2 January 2001, all with negative results.
