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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 14 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 4

Written Answers. - Animal Identification Scheme.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

110 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the degree to which traceability has been established in the beef and lamb industries in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5219/02]

A national sheep identification system came into operation in June 2001 in the aftermath of the foot and mouth disease crisis last year. Initially the introduction of the system involved the tagging of all animals which were being moved off farms, followed by the tagging of the entire national flock by the end of last year. The system encompasses producers, marts, meat factories and others and provides for traceability from farm of origin through to the eventual carcass. Lamb processors are now required to link an individual sheep number to the number of the individual carcass, thereby ensuring full traceability and satisfying themselves as to the provenance of any animals they purchase.

My Department has developed and implemented a computerised cattle movement and monitoring system which has been operational for a number of years. CMMS records and tracks all bovines in Ireland from birth to slaughter and operates at all levels of production including farms, marts, ports and slaughterhouses.

Traceability within the beef sector has been enhanced by the introduction of compulsory labelling requirements during the period to which the Deputy refers. Specifically, these requirements, which entered into force on 1 January 2002, require operators involved in the production and marketing of beef to include on their labels an indication of the member state or third country in which the animal was born, raised and slaughtered. This is in addition to earlier measures introduced in September 2000 requiring beef to be labelled with the following: a batch number, enabling it to be traced back to the animal or group of animals from which it was derived; the approval number of the slaughterhouse and the member state or third country in which it is located; and the approval number of the slaughterhouse and the member state or third country in which it is located.
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