I welcome the opportunity to clarify the situation regarding the costs arising from certification of farms under the national beef assurance scheme. The Government decision which authorised the drafting of the National Beef Assurance Bill specifically provided that the costs of complying with the conditions of the scheme should be borne by participants and such a provision was included in the Bill. The legislation was introduced in July 1999 and each Stage was debated extensively. There was considerable discussion and consultation with farming and other organisations over a period and, therefore, the purpose and elements of the scheme were well known in advance.
As regards the inspection and certification arrangements for farms, it is not my intention to impose expensive and bureaucratic procedures on participants. It has always been my intention that the farm inspections required under the scheme should be carried out at the time of the annual herd test in order to minimise costs and inconvenience for farmers. The specific and detailed arrangements for inspections will be finalised through negotiation with the interested parties. In the coming weeks my officials will recommence discussions with farming and veterinary organisations in order to reach agreement on a practical, workable, credible and least costly inspection procedure. There will be ample opportunity to arrive at a sensible and fair system of inspection which will not create an unacceptable burden for farmers.
I emphasise that the State is already making, and will continue to make, a substantial contribution to the cost of the national beef assurance scheme. In the past three years, for example, the Exchequer has invested more than £16 million in the cattle identification and tracing system which is an integral part of the scheme. A further £12.3 million will be spent this year on providing ear tags and cattle passports to farmers and in maintaining and improving the computer system. This will bring total Exchequer spending on beef assurance to more than £28 million in four years. The central requirement is a credible and effective beef assurance scheme which will protect the reputation of the product and give consumers the assurances they require.