Vol. 537 No. 2
167 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo who corresponded with his Department and who received a letter dated 22 November 2000 regarding the importing of animals can now be permitted to do so. [15839/01]
Any further adjustment to the quarantine arrangements regarding the importation of cats and dogs from countries other than the UK will be considered only after an evaluation of the UK PETS scheme and on the basis that such an adjustment would not expose the human and animal population of this country to additional risk. The Deputy will appreciate that the public health risk, in particular, must be approached with the utmost caution. My Department has not yet carried out such an evaluation and accordingly there are no immediate plans to adjust the current quarantine arrangements.
