Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 18 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 4

Written Answers. - Bovine Diseases.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

136 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food whether the beef of all herds slaughtered following the confirmation of BSE are incinerated, or are rendered into meat and bone meal; if so, the names and locations of the plants where such procedures occur; whether trained veterinary personnel are involved in each case; whether these disposals take place on an infected farm; and the processes which accompany the disposal of the residue from such procedures. [4347/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

Herds in which cases of BSE are confirmed are slaughtered at a specific slaughter plant in County Limerick and the entire carcases are rendered at a dedicated rendering plant in County Cavan. The resulting meat and bone meal is exported to plants in other EU member states for incinertion. All steps of the process are supervised by veterinary inspectors from my Department. The provisions governing the export of the meat and bone meal concerned are set out in the European Communities (Mammalian Animal Waste) Regulations, 1998.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

137 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the regulations, if any, that exist on the transport of cattle in herds with a confirmed incidence of BSE; and, if so, whether these procedures regarding set routes are followed. [4348/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

By virtue of the Diseases of Animals (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order, 1990, animals from herds restricted due to confirmation of a case of BSE may move only in accordance with permits issued by a veterinary inspector of the Department. Strict controls are in place to ensure that animals move only in accordance with the conditions set out in the permit.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

138 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the storage arrangements, if any, that are in place for herds of cattle that have been confirmed as having an incidence of BSE; and the average length of storage that occurs before each herd is finally disposed of. [4349/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

When a case of BSE is confirmed in an animal, it is my Department's policy to depopulate the entire herd in which that animal is located following agreement with the farmer concerned on the valuation of the herd. The herd is restricted while the negotiations take place. Depopulation of the herd generally takes place within a month following positive diagnosis of the animal.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

139 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the quarantine period that follows the identification of a farm affected by an incidence of BSE and the resumption and repopulation of the cattle herds on these farms. [4350/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

When a herd has been depopulated due to a case of BSE, re-stocking is permitted 30 days after cleansing and disinfection of the premises has been carried out to the satisfaction of a veterinary inspector from my Department.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

140 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the restrictions, if any, that farms which adjoin farms with a BSE incidence are subject to. [4351/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

As there is no evidence of horizontal transmission of BSE, no restrictions are placed on farms which adjoin those on which a case of BSE has been confirmed.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

141 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the monitoring, if any, that is being undertaken on cattle which have passed through herds subsequently found to have a confirmed incidence of BSE. [4352/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

When a case of BSE is confirmed in an animal, it is my Department's policy to depopulate the entire herd in which that animal is located. In addition, the progeny and birth cohorts of the affected animal are traced and slaughtered.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

142 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the procedures, if any, under which cattle slaughtered for human consumption are subject to regular testing for BSE. [4353/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

Animals slaughtered for human consumption in Ireland undergo ante-mortem inspections to ensure that they do not manifest conditions which make them unfit for slaughter. Testing for BSE is carried out either on animals considered to be suspect for the disease or on suspect animals from herds in which a case of BSE is confirmed. Such animals are not slaughtered for human consumption.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

143 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the scientific tests that are being conducted within his Department with the Enfer BSE detection method; and whether this test is proving successful. [4354/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

The veterinary research laboratory of my Department participated in the validation of the Enfer test in co-operation with the company concerned. The results obtained showed excellent discrimination between animals known to be positive or negative for the disease. The test in question is in private ownership and its use is a commercial decision.