Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 February 2018
46. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the discussions held to date with the stakeholders relating to bovine EID tagging; the progress made to comply with the July deadline required in the EU regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7143/18]
View answerMy Department provides for the use of EID (electronic) tags in the supply of bovine tags to herd keepers by approved tag vendors. In this regard herd keepers can voluntarily choose to identify bovine animals using a conventional and electronic tag. If a keeper wishes to use EID on all the animals in the herd, a request should be made to the Regional Veterinary Office whereby one of the tags can be removed under RVO supervision and replaced with EID tags matching the number on the conventional tag. In 2017 EID tags represented approximately 10% of the market for cattle tags.
Regulation (EU) No 653/2014 provides for the introduction of electronic identification of bovines on a voluntary basis by 18 July 2019. The EU Commission plans to introduce the required Implementing and Delegated Acts prior to July 2019 and in this regard my Department will keep the position under review at EU level.
Each Member State is required to have facilities in place to provide bovine EID on a voluntary basis by 18 July 2019. A Member State may introduce national provisions for mandatory bovine electronic identification.
The bovine identification and traceability system in Ireland is acknowledged as being a very effective system. It is important to harness the benefits of electronic developments in developing and underpinning the system to ensure that Ireland continues to have an effective and future proof system. In that context I am mindful of developments internationally where many competitor countries are now moving towards the use of EID in their cattle populations.
I am presently considering the scope for the possibility of introducing mandatory electronic identification of bovines in the context of the benefits that EID will provide to all interested stakeholders. The development of a plan to implement EID will require consultation with stakeholders, including farm organisations, mart organisations, Meat Industry Ireland and approved tag suppliers. My officials have had some preliminary discussions with the farm organisations on the introduction of EID recently.
