Vol. 542 No. 2
223 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason he has taken steps to depopulate the sheep flock of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath when there was an initial problem on one ewe identified in November 2000 at the laboratory investigation in Athlone; the issues which prompted the decision to take the drastic step to depopulate this flock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23825/01]
Against a background of increasing international concern in relation to TSE's generally and as an evolution of measures taken in recent years which are particular to scrapie and which are aimed at eradicating the disease in the national flock, my Department has decided to restrict and depopulate sheep flocks in which scrapie has been identified since 1 January 1999. The individual referred to by the Deputy is one of the flock owners concerned. Suitable arrangements to compensate the flock owners affected by this decision are being put in place.
In so far as this country is concerned, my Department has been active for the past decade in the detection, monitoring and control of scrapie. Our approach has been developed within the framework of measures to address TSEs generally and has been consistently based on the best available current scientific research and knowledge.
Measures developed over the past decade to deal with scrapie include compulsory notification, the banning in 1990 of feeding meat and bone meal to ruminants, including sheep, the strengthening of controls on feed mills in 1996, the banning of specified risk materials from cattle and sheep in 1997, active surveillance involving testing at factories since 1998, and an ongoing programme of research in areas such as strain typing, breed susceptibility and geographical distribution. In addition, the potential for effective monitoring and control in this area has been significantly enhanced by the implementation since June 2001 of the national sheep identification system – NSIS – which involves the individual identification and traceability of the entire national flock.
As with all animal health issues, my Department will continue to keep these controls under review, and should new scientific research emerge which may indicate the desirability of adjusting or augmenting them, my Department will take any action that may be necessary at the appropriate time.
