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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 20 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 4

Written Answers. - Animal Remedies Regulations.

Liz McManus

Question:

199 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the steps he is taking in relation to the keeping of records for the treatment of sick animals under the Animal Remedies Regulations; if the Blue Book will be made available to the general farming community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8357/02]

Regulation 42 of the Animal Remedies Regulations, 1996 imposes a legal obligation on farmers or other persons in charge of animals to maintain an animal remedies record in a format specified under the regulations. This record of all administrations to food-producing animals of veterinary medicines, which are either subject to a veterinary prescription or have a withdrawal period, constitutes an important element of the overall controls on the use of veterinary medicines and is particularly necessary in facilitating controls designed to ensure that specified withdrawal periods are observed.

It is primarily a matter for farmers or others in charge of animals to maintain the animal remedies record in the manner specified. In order purely to facilitate farmers in the bovine sector in meeting their legal obligations, it was decided to avail of the opportunity afforded by the issue of herd registers to include a section for recording veterinary treatments in the specified manner. This was not done in any other sector and was never intended to set a precedent in the bovine sector itself. It is not, therefore, intended to extend this facility to other sectors of the farming community.

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