Vol. 488 No. 4
111 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the type, breed and age of animals where BSE has been diagnosed and confirmed in 1998 in counties Roscommon, Leitrim, Donegal and Sligo; the cause of the outbreak; the number of cases confirmed in each herd; the number, type, breed and age of animals under observation as suspected BSE cases in these counties; the type and number of animals in each herd; and the number of herds in these counties. [6200/98]
To date in 1998 there have been no confirmed BSE cases in the counties referred to by the Deputy.
112 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the type, breed and age of the youngest animal in the State in which BSE has been diagnosed or confirmed; the type, size and location of the herd; the date on which the herd was placed under Department observation; when these were diagnosed or confirmed; the cause of the outbreak; whether the infected animal is or was an offspring or related to other animals in the herd or animals in another herd in which BSE has been confirmed; if other cases of BSE have been confirmed in the herd; if so, the number involved; the cause of the outbreak; and the type, size and location of the herd. [6201/98]
Details requested in respect of the youngest animal in which BSE has been confirmed are as follows:
Type of animal — Cow
Breed of animal — Friesian
Age on diagnosis/confirmation — three years
Type of Herd — Dairying
Size of Herd — 68 animals
Location of Herd — County Monaghan
Date placed under observation — November 1997
Date of Diagnosis/Confirmation — December 1997
The cause of the outbreak has not been definitively established but it is believed that it was caused by contaminated feed fed to the animal when it was a calf. The animal was not related to any other animal in which BSE has been confirmed and no other case of BSE has been confirmed in the herd.
113 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number, type, breed and age of animals in the State in which BSE is suspected; and the type, size and location of herds and dates on which they were placed under Department observation. [6202/98]
The information requested is set out as follows:
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1. |
No. of suspect BSE cases — 12 |
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2. |
Type of Cattle — 11 cows and one bull |
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3. |
Breeds — various including Friesian & Belgian Blue Cross, Simmental, Charolais and Limousin |
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4. |
Ages — from two to 11 years of age |
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5. |
Type of Holdings — seven dairy and five suckler |
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6. |
Size of Herds — from 19 to 237 cattle |
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7. |
Locations of Herds — Counties Laois, Waterford, Limerick, Galway (two herds), Kildare (2 herds), Monaghan, Tipperary, Donegal and Wexford (two herds) |
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8. |
Dates put under observation — February-March 1998 |
114 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the location, type and size of the herd in which a triple outbreak of BSE has been confirmed in the State. [6203/98]
115 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the largest number of cases of BSE confirmed in a single herd in the State in 1998; the date on which this was confirmed; the location, type and size of the herd; the type, breed and age of the animals in which the disease was confirmed; the cause of the outbreak; and whether the BSE infected animals were offspring or related to other animals in the herd or animals in other herds in which BSE has been confirmed. [6204/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 115 together.
Three cases of BSE were confirmed in Friesian cows in a dairy herd of 137 cattle in County Wicklow in the following circumstances: the first case was confirmed following examination of the brain of an animal which was slaughtered because it was showing clinical signs of the disease; the other two cases were confirmed following examination of the brains of cohort and other cattle in the herd following the depopulation and slaughter of the herd.
There has not been any multiple case of BSE in any herd to date in 1998.
116 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of BSE cases confirmed in the State dairy research herd at Moorepark, County Cork; the date these cases were confirmed; the type, breed and age of the infected animals; the cause of the outbreak; whether the BSE infected animals were offspring of or related to other animals in the herd; if they were purchased or acquired off-farm; the location and type of herds from which the animals were acquired; and if BSE has been confirmed or is suspected in the supply herds or in any herds to which Moorepark disposed or referred any of its stock. [6205/98]
117 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the cost arising out of the slaughter of the State dairy research centre herd at Moorepark, following the BSE outbreak; and the total number of animals slaughtered. [6206/98]
118 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the names and addresses of the plants in which the herd of the State dairy research centre at Moorepark was slaughtered following the BSE outbreak; the number of animals slaughtered; and the way in which, and where, the carcases were subsequently processed and stored. [6207/98]
119 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the cost incurred in 1998 in connection with the post BSE outbreak restocking programme at the State dairy research centre at Moorepark; and the type, breed, age and number of animals purchased or acquired since the outbreak. [6208/98]
120 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the State dairy research centre at Moorepark, County Cork, was allowed retain its 140 strong Ballyderown herd following the recent BSE outbreak in view of the fact that it is a requirement of the Department that a privately owned farm in which cases of BSE are confirmed, irrespective of any geographical distance between parts of the holding, must be completely depopulated. [6209/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 117, 118, 119 and 120 together.
