Vol. 539 No. 1
182 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the extent to which BSE was detected in the animals destroyed in the beef destruction scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19006/01]
The purchase for destruction scheme was introduced by the European Union as a market management measure in order to remove surplus beef from the market arising from the decline in beef consumption in the Union and the closure of many third country markets because of the BSE situation.
Producers could offer cattle over 30 months of age, for purchase and destruction under this scheme. As the animals could not be tested under this scheme, no cases of BSE were detected.
