Vol. 534 No. 5
93 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development his proposals for a sheep tagging scheme; the way in which he intends that this scheme will provide full and accurate traceability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11106/01]
It is my intention to introduce a comprehensive national identification system for sheep, involving the individual identification of all sheep by tagging, from next May and my Department is currently working towards this objective. In the course of advancing this work, discussions on the details of the system have been held with the various relevant representative organisations.
Under the system, sheep will be tagged and details of all sheep on farms and of all sheep movements will be fully recorded. Processors will be required to link the individual sheep tag number to the number of the finished carcass. Ireland will thus, for the first time, have full traceability for all sheep on an individual animal basis. This will be of significant benefit, most notably in terms of disease control, marketing and in the implementation of the relevant recommendations of the sheepmeat forum which reported in October 1999. In designing the new system, my Department has also taken full account of current and prospective requirements at EU level in relation to sheep identification.
I have consistently stated that I attach great importance to ensuring that this particular project is completed by May. Deficiencies in this area are no longer acceptable and I expect the co-operation of all concerned in ensuring that the full traceability system, based on tagging and encompassing producers, marts, processors and others, can be put in place within this timescale.
