Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 November 2015
100. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on electronic identification tagging for cattle; his plans to introduce it in the near future; if he will pass on to farmers, in total or in part, in the form of reduced disease levies, the saving to his Department that would result from this introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41908/15]
View answerEU Regulation No. 653/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council provides for the introduction of electronic bovine identification on a voluntary basis. Under this legislation, Member States are permitted to introduce compulsory electronic identification of cattle with effect from 18 July 2019 and are obliged to have facilities in place to provide for the use of electronic identifiers (electronic tags or electronic bolus) as an official means of identification with effect from the same date.
My Department will facilitate the introduction of electronic identification (EID) of bovines in accordance with the requirements of the aforementioned EU Regulation. There are no provisions in the Regulation in relation to the mandatory introduction of electronic identification of bovines in advance of 18 July 2019. Nevertheless, my Department already provides for the use of EID tags in the current contract for the supply of bovine tags on a voluntary basis but there is very low demand (approximately 1% of herd keepers) for cattle EID tags which cost approximately €1 more than the conventional tag.
In view of the foregoing, I have no plans to introduce mandatory EID for bovine animals. However my Department will keep the position under review in the context of consultation with all the stakeholders and developments at EU level. It is difficult to project the precise exchequer savings, if any, that would accrue following the mandatory introduction of EID. The purpose of the disease levies is to contribute towards the cost of the disease eradication programme and it would not be appropriate to link reduction in farmer disease levies to the mandatory introduction of EID in the bovine herd.
