Vol. 475 No. 5
189 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether he will assist a person (details supplied) in County Kerry to eradicate disease from his herd; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5311/97]
There have been extensive contacts between the person referred to and my Department in relation to animal health difficulties. My Department has offered to undertake a programme, to be carried out by its veterinary laboratory service under which it will test livestock on the farm at regular intervals; in addition, it will undertake, free of charge to the farmer in question, pathological testing at the Regional Veterinary Laboratory in Cork of material from the farm which may be submitted by the farmer or his veterinary surgeon. Consideration of any more extensive investigation would be contingent on the completion by the farmer in question of certain farm improvements which have been indicated as necessary by a study jointly carried out by the VLS and Teagasc in 1996 and which have been advised to him. It is considered that the results of any such investigation would be prejudiced and its scientific worth devalued if such works are not first carried out.
