Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 January 2014
169. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a farmer cannot buy cattle when his or her herd is locked up with TB; if he will review a change in policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4490/14]
View answerThe restrictions on buying further animals into herds where the presence of TB has been confirmed derive from the EU legislation governing bovine TB eradication programmes. Article 17 of Council Directive 78/52 EEC requires that a herd in which bovine TB is confirmed is not restocked until after the cattle identified as reactors are slaughtered and all cattle, over six weeks old, remaining in the herd have passed one or more official tuberculosis tests. Once a herd passes such a test, it may be restocked under permit from the District Veterinary Office.
Given that this requirement derives from binding EU legislation, it is not open to my Department to depart from it.
