John O'Donoghue
Ceist:26 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the amount of money committed by his Department for the promised scheme of animal traceability. [19444/96]
Written Answers. - Animal Traceability.
I refer the Deputy to the replies I gave on 27 June last to a series of questions on animal traceability. I indicated then that my short-term aim was to centralise certain animal location information onto one computer file. Progress has been made in that regard and the resulting computer file, known as ALF — animal location file — should be available for use by the Department's veterinary certification service around the end of the year.
I also indicated my aim of developing a comprehensive animal history or traceability system using a wide range of location information sources including disease scheme records, premium and headage scheme records, calf birth registration, movements off farm, movements into and out of marts and disposal for slaughter or export. Such a system, which will go beyond the computer file already referred to, will require considerable investment and development effort. It will be put in place as speedily as possible but it will be some time before this fully comprehensive system becomes operational.
About £1 million will be spent in 1996 in developing the animal location file which involves extending the Department's computer network to district veterinary offices, slaughter plants, assembly points and export ports. This is in addition to the approximate £3 million already spent over 1994 and 1995 in developing the networking system between the Department's local livestock offices and headquarters. The amount to be included in my Department's 1997 expenditure allocation to enable further development of the computer system will be finalised in the Estimates context.