Vol. 557 No. 2
169 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the circumstances of the removal by his Department's officials on 9 July 2002 of cattle belonging to a person (details supplied) in County Fermanagh which were on the southern side of the Border; and the situation regarding these cattle. [21863/02]
Following the imposition of the EU wide ban on the exportation of cattle from the UK in March 1996, Ireland introduced a ban on the importation of such cattle. It is absolutely imperative from the perspective of protecting the animal health status of this country that whatever measures are necessary are taken to enforce this ban.
The cattle referred to by the Deputy were seized on a farm in County Leitrim on 9 July 2002. All of these animals bore Northern Ireland ear tags. I understand that these animals were imported into this country in contravention of the national and EU rules with regard to the intra-Community trade in cattle and as such represent a serious threat to the health status of the national herd.
As in all such cases where my Department is not satisfied as to the origin or identification of animals, they are detained pending investigation. Where the origin and-or identification cannot be verified, or where it can be established that the animals have been imported in contravention of EU law, the animals will be destroyed without the payment of compensation. Where appropriate, prosecutions are initiated.
