With the introduction of the national sheep identification system, Ireland has, for the first time, full traceability for all sheep on an individual animal basis. Every sheep which moves from a holding within the State or which is imported into the State and every sheep carcass processed in any of our processing plants is now fully and individually identified. All sheep remaining on holdings are required to be individually tagged by 15 December next. I attach great importance to this development which is of significant benefit to the sheep sector, most notably in terms of disease control, marketing and in the implementation of the relevant recommendations of the sheepmeat forum.