Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2010
601 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason restrictions surrounding sheep exports to Northern Ireland remain in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31347/10]
View answerSince the FMD outbreak in 2001 and arising from certain concerns relating to scrapie, all exports of sheep for breeding or production must comply fully with normal rules for intra-community trade. Intra -Community trade in sheep is governed by the provisions of Council Directive 2003/50/EC which amends Council Directive 91/68/EEC. These controls apply to breeding sheep whether they are imported or exported and all sheep must be certified with regard to their health status.
Under these rules, breeding sheep must be certified as having been continuously resident on a holding of origin for at least 30 days prior to export including a standstill period of 21 days prior to export during which time no sheep have been introduced on to the holding. A derogation applies where sheep introduced during the standstill period are completely isolated from all other animals on the holding.
Breeding rams must also come from a holding on which no case of contagious epididymitis (Brucella Ovis) has been recorded in the last 12 months and they must have been kept permanently on the holding for 60 days prior to export. Breeding rams must also be tested for contagious epididymitis (Brucella Ovis) with a negative result, within 30 days prior to export. The rules in relation to Scrapie are that all breeding sheep must either be of the ARR/ARR prion protein genotype, or have been kept in a scrapie monitored flock for at least 3 years with no cases of scrapie being confirmed during this period.
Breeding sheep being exported must be inspected by an official veterinarian during the 24 hours preceding the loading of the animals and issued with an Intra–Community health certificate signed by an official veterinarian.
