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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 3

Priority Questions. - Bovine Disease Controls.

Willie Penrose

Question:

62 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if, in view of the significant delay experienced by farmers between the date an animal in a herd is identified to have BSE and the eventual slaughter of the whole herd, which can be in excess of two months, he will consider compensating such farmers for the significant outlay on feeding, veterinary and machinery costs sustained by the farmer in the interim, which is not reflected in the compensation paid to farmers for the depopulation of the herd with specific reference to the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14126/01]

In general there is no significant delay between the confirmation of a BSE positive case and the depopulation of the herd. A Depart ment valuer normally makes contact with the herd owner shortly after positive confirmation of BSE, with a view to carrying out a valuation of the herd on an agreed date, usually within two weeks of the positive confirmation of the disease. There is no fixed timeframe laid down in legislation for the valuation to be agreed and it is largely a matter for the herd owner who may need time to consider the initial valuation or may wish to avail of the appeals procedure laid down in the Diseases of Animals (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) (Amendment) (No 2) Order, 1990. This provides for recourse to independent valuation and ultimately to an arbitrator, should the herd owner wish to pursue this course of action.

The herd will normally be slaughtered within a week of the conclusion of the valuation process although this can vary having regard to the size of the herd and the capacity of the approved slaughtering plant. Payment normally issues within two weeks of receipt of the relevant documentation. For a variety of reasons however, there was a delay in the valuation process in respect of a limited number of herds between 23 November 2000 and 25 January 2001. As a result of the delays in these cases, my Department arranged for interim part payment of compensation to be made prior to depopulation and made arrangements for the granting of ex gratia payments to the herd owners involved in recognition of the additional feeding and veterinary costs resulting from the delay. The ex gratia payment to the person referred to by the Deputy is currently being processed and payment should issue shortly.

Will the Minister acknowledge the level of devastation and hardship suffered by a farm family whose herd is identified as having a BSE-infected animal? Does he agree it is imperative that the herd be depopulated as quickly as possible as a result of the level of devastation to which I have referred? Does he agree that a time lag in excess of two months between the identification of an animal and its eventual removal is disgraceful and creates further uncertainty in households? Why must a farmer care for animals for more than two months and thereby incur feeding, veterinary medicine, machinery and labour costs without compensation?

The herd of about 180 animals referred to in the question was identified on 6 December 2000, but was not removed until 12 February 2001. The farmer incurred a cost of £21,549.81, for which he was not compensated. Will the farmer involved be given an ex-gratia payment equivalent to the amount he has unnecessarily incurred as a result of the incompetence of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development? The animals should have been removed within two to three weeks, rather than two months and a week.

A problem existed before Christmas as a result of a ruling of the European Union. There had been a major increase in the volume of specified risk material and we did not have the capacity to deal with it. Since then, the Environmental Protection Agency has approved two additional plants, so the matter has been taken care of. I admit there was an inordinate delay in dealing with the case of the herd owner involved. I apologise to Deputy Penrose, who brought the matter to my attention, and to the farmer in question, as it is unacceptable that a problem that arose before Christmas should drag on into the middle of May and that hardship has been caused. I understand that an ex-gratia payment has been set out and will be paid within the next few days but, as I said, it should have been paid well before now.

I thank the Minister for his reply. Has a dedicated unit been set up within the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development to advise farmers on preparation for depopulation, to assist the rebuilding of their farms after slaughter and to help them deal with the psychological impact of a large depopulation occurring through no fault of their own?

Yes, such a facility is provided by a unit of the Department and has been improved in the last few months to deal with the problems of foot and mouth disease. The unit, along with Teagasc, has been based in north Louth for a number of weeks and it will be tied up there for some time to help with the revitalisation and restocking programme that is to be carried out. Once the programme in Louth has been completed, the departmental unit will be available to herd owners.

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