Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 Jun 2001

Vol. 539 No. 1

Written Answers. - Animal Health and Food Safety.

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

37 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the discussions he has had with his counterpart in Northern Ireland to initiate an all-island approach to animal health and food safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18816/01]

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

Agriculture is one of the areas of co-operation with Northern Ireland identified under the Good Friday Agreement. The issues for discussion include animal health policy.

The programme of work on animal health adopted by the North-South Ministerial Council in its agriculture sector format involved the formalisation of liaison arrangements at official level on animal health matters, including the establishment of a strategic steering group, which will co-ordinate animal health policy on the island and make regular reports on co-operation on animal health matters together with recommendations for policy and/or operational decisions to the North-South Ministerial Council. Policy working groups are also to be established that will initially explore eight areas of animal health that apply to the whole island. These groups will be disbanded or formed as required.

Over the past four months, I have had a number of meetings with Minister Bríd Rodgers, both within the North-South Ministerial Council and outside, and animal health issues were discussed at these meetings. At a special meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council held on 6 April 2001 to discuss the foot and mouth disease crisis, we agreed that officials of the two departments would: develop a strategy for the control of animal movements on the island of Ireland drawing on work done in both jurisdictions; and, in the light of the experience gained from the foot and mouth disease outbreaks, consider the means of prevention, containment and eradication of future epizootic disease outbreaks on the island.

The issue of food safety is a matter for the Minister for Health and Children. As the Deputy is aware, the Food Safety Promotion Board is one of the recently established cross-Border implementation bodies.