Vol. 539 No. 1
71 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the level of paperwork and notification to his Department which is required to allow sheep shearing to take place; his views on whether this is cumbersome for farmers; his further views on the necessity for a 24 hour notification period to be inconvenient in view of the fact that shearing is highly dependent on weather; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18800/01]
To be registered as a commercial sheep shearer an applicant is required to supply to my Department his/her name, address, telephone number, date of birth and personal public service number. This is the minimum information required to establish the identity of the applicant. A copy of a passport is acceptable in cases where the applicant is not an Irish national. A registration certificate is then issued to the applicant by my Department. Shearers must give at least 24 hours prior notification to the district veterinary office responsible for the area in which the land or premises is located. This notification can be given by telephone or in writing. When the shearing is complete both the shearer and the flock owner complete a certificate which must be retained by both parties for a period of 12 months.
Having regard to foot and mouth disease and the danger of the spread of the disease because of the close physical contact between the sheep shearer and the sheep, it is necessary to ensure that sheep shearing by commercial operators takes place under rigid monitoring and control arrangements. The 24 hour notification is essential as a means of tracking where sheep shearers are working in the event of a disease outbreak. It is considered that the arrangements that apply are essential in the current circumstances. There are no restrictions on flock owners shearing their own sheep.
