Vol. 539 No. 1
67 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the number of farmers, dealers, meat processors, live animal exporters and meat importers who were fined, given custodial sentences, had herd numbers withdrawn, and their export licence removed since January 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18817/01]
To date in 2001 a total of ten prosecutions have been successfully concluded. Seven herdowners have been convicted for breaches of various requirements of the TB, brucellosis and tagging/registration legislation. In total, fines of £28,190 have been imposed as well as four prison sentences, one of which was suspended and another suspended on condition that the herdowner cease farming. Three persons – a farmer, a dealer and a farmer/contractor – have been convicted of offences contrary to the Animal Remedies Act, 1993, so far in 2001; fines totalling £34,000 have been imposed and one person was sentenced to five years imprisonment which sentence was suspended. No herd numbers or export licences have been withdrawn since January 2001. However, 19 suspension notices were issued to meat processing plants in the period from January to March 2001 temporarily suspending operations for infringements of meat hygiene regulations.
